


Professor Lupin

by theGoddessofSamothrace



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Deep-throathing, Desk Sex, Edging, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Light BDSM, Rough Oral Sex, Spanking, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-29
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2019-09-02 08:36:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 32,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16783441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theGoddessofSamothrace/pseuds/theGoddessofSamothrace
Summary: Hermione Granger has always had a thing for Remus Lupin. As a schoolgirl, this was an embarrassing crush. Now, as a student at the Magical University of Reading, this has become something more. What will the otherwise smart and reasonable miss Granger do when she is thrown together with her old professor and her feelings become hard to ignore?





	1. Tutorial

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The following is fairly smutty and non-canon compliant from about the fourth book onward. I own nothing recognizable, everything is owned by the fabulous, the amazing, the lovely J.K. Rowling.

Hermione stared at her notes in front of her, her thoughts in a very different place then the classroom which she was in. A student on the other side of the room was giving a longwinded, boring presentation about the adverse effects of dragon breeding regulations in certain regions of India.

This had been going on for over an hour and Hermione had lost track quite soon after the start.

Usually, she was at her best in the classroom, listening attentively and taking notes. Today, however, she couldn't focus at all. Instead, she was thinking about the man standing in front of the classroom, dressed in slacks and a white button-up shirt, leaning nonchalantly against his desk and listening politely to the student's diatribe.

His brown hair was streaked grey at the temples, giving him a distinguished look that was muted only partially by his slight stubble. His lanky but powerful frame was all muscle. He looked ever so sexy, leaning into the desk behind him, exuding the aura of a man relaxed but thoroughly in charge.  
  
Yes, Hermione decided, Remus Lupin was really one of the most gorgeous male specimens she had ever encountered. Her fascination with him budded during his year of teaching at Hogwarts, when her younger version was attracted by the quiet air of dominance and powerful intelligence that was inherent to Remus' behavior.

Later on, when she got older, Hermione realized that she was a sapiosexual, someone who was strongly attracted to intelligence in her partners. This explained her enduring fascination with the werewolf.

At Hogwarts this had taken the form of a thoroughly embarrassing crush, which had led her to mess up her exam in Defence against the Dark Arts in her third year. Back then, she'd let Harry and Ron think that it was a Bogart presenting himself as professor McGonnagal telling her she'd failed all her exams.

In reality, the Bogart shown her a very intimate scene between her and Remus which had been disturbed by professor McGonnagal, leading to her expulsion.  
  
Nowadays, her interest in Lupin was of a more mature kind, although possibly now even more distracting. In the past years of knowing him, she had grown increasingly attracted to him, both intellectually and physically.

They had been thrown together a lot since she started her degree at the Magical University of Reading. They had not seen each other for a few years after the war, but their reacquaintance in an academic setting had made it seem as if no time had passed at all.

Unfortunately for Hermione, this also meant that her youthful infatuation had also resurfaced. Especially the last year or so, her old crush had developed itself into a more multi-faceted feeling, that encompassed both an intellectual and a strong sexual attraction. However, as she kept reminding herself, he was her professor and therefore thoroughly out of bounds. Yet that did not deter her brain from sometimes going off like she was on one of Fred and George's day-dream potions.

Today, Remus' physical presence in the classroom had proved especially distracting. Before the class started, he had briefly singled her out, bent over the front of her desk to ask about Harry's current mission with the Aurors. His physical closeness and his musky scent had been enough to drive her brain to distraction for the remainder of the two-hour class.

Unable to curb her fantasy, she had been plagued by vivid daydreams in which Remus and his desk played the leading role. She imagined running her hands over his crisp shirt, tracing her fingers over the collarbone underneath, drawing her fingers down over his pectoral muscles and brushing over nipples underneath, travelling further down to the waistband of those pants...

"Miss Granger, how would you counter these arguments against the limited-breeding policy in the Dehli region from the perspective of the Welsh case?"

Remus' voice shook Hermione from her reveries. She was shocked to realize that he was asking her to respond to the student's arguments, to which she had paid little to no attention. She found him staring at her intently from his place at the front of the class, hazel eyes twinkling with amusement.

Feeling a blush creep up to her neck, Hermione racked her brain in the hope of remembering any part of the other students' ramble.

Finding something to latch onto, she countered carefully: "Well, I don't think these arguments apply, because the Welsh case was specifically concerned with a group of dragons that needed to be relocated anyway. Moreover, they were not considered to be overpopulating the area, but simply too close to Muggle establishments for safety..."

She tailed off, but luckily Remus was nodding. "A concise but correct reply, I would say. Now, let's further discuss this next week, when I would like Justine to present her case on the Canadian Grindylows. That is all."

Exhaling, Hermione felt that she had made a narrow escape. She stuffed her books and parchment back into her bag and stretched, feeling the tightness in her lower abdomen unfurl slightly. Classes with Remus were usually quite challenging intellectually and occasionally physically, as this was not the first time that certain parts of her body seemed to have a mind of their own.

"Miss Granger, might I have a word?" Remus called over to her.  
  
Hermione's heart skipped a beat. What would he need? They already discussed Harry's current posting and the wellbeing of all the Weasleys. Had noticed that she did not pay as much attention as she should have today?

She walked over to him, fighting the blush that creeped onto her neck as she considered yet again his physique. A little voice in the back of her mind suggested that maybe he would punish her for her bad behavior.

Losing the battle with the blush that was creeping over her chest, Hermione reached his desk and smiled somewhat bashfully.

"Yes, professor Lupin?"

Remus was busy stuffing papers in a too small briefcase. He looked at her sternly before chuckling. "Hermione, please, how many times do I need to tell you to call me Remus when we are not in class?"

Hermione scraped her throat self-consciously before replying. The truth was that it felt improper within the university to call him by his first name, especially after having such thoughts about the man in question.

"Right, of course. Erhm, sorry, what did you need, Remus?"

He smiled at her. "I was actually rather hoping you could help me. I need to write a tutorial the first-year students on Wednesday evening. I think the experience would be good for you, as you said you were thinking a bit more about teaching yourself. Would you have time?"

Hermione's brain was momentarily shaken from its lust-filled mode by the prospect of an intellectual challenge. Her eyes widened and she beamed up at him. "That would be amazing! I would love to."

Remus chuckled again at her enthusiasm. "You would actually do me a favor, as I could really use some new ideas. Come by my office at 5?" "Sure, prof... Remus. I will see you on Wednesday".

Filled with excitement Hermione left the classroom. Thoughts about this chance of being alone with Remus warred with excited ideas about the tutorial. How would she cope by being in a small space with him for several hours? What would the tutorial be about? What should she wear? Deciding that she needed some space to think, Hermione headed to the library.

Remus watched Hermione walk out of the classroom and closed the door behind her with his wand, then sank down in the chair behind him, uttering a small groan and putting his face in his hands.

"That witch will be the death of me", he muttered to himself. Smart as she was, Hermione Granger was an attractive woman who was very unaware of her effect on men. After losing touch for some time after the final battle, he had encountered her again three years ago as a university student at the department where he worked.

That was the beginning of his mess. She started popping up in his dreams, initially innocently. Unfortunately, lately these had deteriorated far less family-friendly scenarios. Yet he was hopelessly attracted to her and he had sought her company increasingly in the past year. She was simply delightful to be around. She was intelligent, lively and always up for an intellectual sparring.

Over the years, their relationship had deepened from that of a professor to his student to something more personal. This meant that, on the one hand, he enjoyed asking her to help with tasks like this tutorial.

On the other hand, it was hard to be professional with someone he felt this guttural attraction to. Even more problematic was the fact that his infatuation with her got a lot worse around the full moon.  
  
Sighing, he considered the appointment he just made. Being at close quarters with her would be a challenge in self-restraint as the full moon was due in a few days. Yet he could really need her help and she needed the intellectual challenge.

He would have to shower with cold water on Wednesday, he was sure, but shouldn't let it affect his relationship with her. After all, what would she think if she found out that all he was really thinking about in the last hour of class were those rose-pink lips and how they would feel if they would be enclosed around his...

Shaking his head like a dog with water in his ears, Lupin mentally steered himself away from this dangerous territory.

"Come on Moony, that's enough. Back to reality and back to work. That is your student you’re thinking of and I don't think she'd be overjoyed if she knew that you are thinking about her in this way. You're old enough to be her father, for Merlin's sake" he sternly told himself.

Yet, as he worked his way through the essays he was grading, Lupin caught himself thinking about very different things that afternoon than dragons and Grindylows.

Unbeknownst to him, in a library in the same building, Hermione Granger was debating with herself on much the same subjects. Unable to focus on her essay for Magical Policy Development, her thoughts had drifted again to the appointment two nights away.

Her imagination was wreaking havoc as all possible scenarios were appearing before her. About how she could lean over his desk to reach something and he would grab her from behind, or how she could kiss him as she straddled him, slowly unbuttoning his shirt... Yet she was also plagued by an uneasy feeling, fearing that he might sense her attraction and reject her.

She sighed. How was she going to get through an entire evening of work together with Remus without betraying herself? Her crush at Hogwarts had been bad enough, but this was getting ridiculous.

Staring out of the window, she went through her options. She couldn't cancel: she wanted this opportunity. But she had a hard time curbing her physical reaction nowadays, after so many nights spent in bed dreaming of her professor.

How would he react when she blushed if he inadvertently touched her? Or what if her body reacted in other ways that were subtler, but could be detected by the werewolf's excellent sense of smell and pheromones... She felt a nervous clenching of her insides. She had gotten very wet in his presence before, but luckily never when they were alone.

She always figured he would not be able to tell it was her. But if they were alone, he might. Would there be potions to counter this? Or maybe, she could cast a spell that would...

Straightening in her seat, Hermione scolded herself. This was ridiculous. This infatuation was intoxicating and exciting, but now it was interfering with her work. She needed to be realistic.

Remus was very much out of bounds, even if he were interested in her. Which he would not be. Ever. She needed to get over herself. Bracing herself, Hermione took a deep breath and recommenced her work, vowing to herself to try and put Remus out of her head.

When Wednesday arrived, Hermione had done fairly well with focusing on work rather than her infatuation with her professor. Yet that didn't deter her from carefully choosing an outfit to wear to her classes that day.

The white blouse and a green skirt she wore were modest, while showed off her curves nicely. The white fabric stretched over her breasts and the green of the skirt complemented her eyes.

As she examined herself in the mirror, she wondered what the day would bring. She had looked forward to the evening's work with Remus, if only for the intellectual challenge. As the thought of his muscular arms intruded on her thoughts, she took a deep breath and grabbed her bag from the kitchen table.

She steeled her resolve to be as professional as she could today, reminding herself that Remus was as good as a family friend and should therefore not make her nervous (or aroused, for that matter). Picking up her wand, she Apparated into the hall of the University for her lectures.

Five o'clock on the dot, Hermione knocked on the door of Remus' office, a dark hardwood door with a golden knob. A soft-spoken "Come in" granted her entrance. She had been in Remus' office before, a cozy room with a window overlooking a courtyard, a fireplace and a big mahogany desk. Books lined the walls and there was a fluffy sofa in front of the fire.

What was new, however, were the piles of essays that covered every inch of the desk.

"Hermione! Come in". Remus smiled at her from behind his desk, looking tired and a bit haggard. Hermione came in and shut the door.

"Hi! Wow, those are a lot of essays", she exclaimed as she surveyed stacks and stacks of paper.

Remus looked at it wearily. "Yes, unfortunately Professor Grout has falled ill, so the end-of-term work has been added to my workload while she’s recovering." Sighing, he added: "It'll be fine, it's just a little more work."

Hermione had a thoughtful look on her face. "If we work over the tutorial quickly, I might be able to help with the essays from Grout's class. If it's okay for me to do so, I mean?" She ventured.

Remus' face lit up, then fell a little. "That would be great Hermione, but I really can't ask that of you."

"Sure you can" she replied brightly, "because I'm offering. Plus, I already have loads of ideas for the tutorial, so I bet we can have this all done in a couple of hours." Setting herself on the other side of Remus' desk, they got to work.  


"As far as famous last words go, I think that was just slightly optimistic", Hermione remarked with a yawn, after finishing the last essay on her pile some 7 hours later.

The halls of the university had become quiet. Aside from a quick sandwich in between essays, Hermione and Remus had worked non-stop to get all the work done. The tutorial did not prove too much of a problem, but the essays were time consuming to check.

Finishing a final remark on his last essay, Remus chuckled. "I think we didn't do too bad.” He smiled."Thank you Hermione, this has helped tremendously. I don't know how I would have gotten this done before the full moon this weekend."

He stood up and stretched, walking to one of the bookcases. "Now, can I offer you a glass of Firewhiskey as a token of appreciation for helping your old professor?"  
  
"That would actually be lovely, thanks Remus" she replied and stretched in her chair.

After being cooped up for 7 hours, her self-consciousness had abated, aided by all the work that required her attention. She thought she had noticed Lupin glancing at her while she was working, but dismissed the thoughts as soon as they entered her head.

Now, however, her self-consciousness came flooding back as she looked at him, disheveled from working, tie discarded, shirtsleeves rolled up and now in easy comradery that came with close confinement and shared hard work.

She felt a growing tightness in her lower abdomen as the suppressed attraction of the last couple of days reappeared came back in full force. Trying to ignore the heat between her legs, Hermione stood up to accept the glass of Firewhiskey her professor had poured from a bottle that he kept stashed behind some books.

"Hmmm, have a stash, do you?" she remarked with a chuckle as she tried to keep her light demeanor.

They clinked glasses and Hermione took a large swig of the fiery drink, hoping to calm her nerves.

Remus surveyed Hermione. She had not complained once the entire evening and had tackled the task of judging the students' work with apparent relish. It was nice to see her actually enjoy the work and he greatly valued her company.

While the sheer amount of work had mostly kept him focused on the other side of the desk, the occasional glance across the desk had proven a near fatal distraction. Across from him, the blouse the bushy-haired young witch was wearing offered tantalizing glimpses of her beautifully sculpted breasts as she leant over her work.

Several times, Remus had to bracingly remind himself of the task at hand, ignoring the tightness in his trousers of his throbbing arousal. The closeness of the full moon did not help at all, with his senses alert and the more human side of his urges being suppressed by the wolf.

Now, as he stood drinking his whiskey, Hermione had turned away and walked to the window with her glass in her hand to survey the view.

"Wow, that is some view!" she remarked, taking in the twinkling lights stretched as far as the eye could see.

Remus, however, did not fully hear her. A smell, a sweet, musky scent had registered at that moment and had him momentarily incapacitated. The wolf in him growled. What he smelt was arousal. Female arousal.

His body gave an instant reaction, his erection back to full force and his pulse quickening. His thoughts became almost erratic. Was that arousal because of him? Ockhams' razor would suggest that it was, but possibly she had simply been thinking of someone else...

His resolve, weakening from having been tried all night, began to break.

After a moment of frantic contemplation, his human side won dominance once more and Remus pulled himself together.

Striding over to the window he joined Hermione, hoping his slacks would cover his hardened cock sufficiently.

"Er, yes, it is quite breathtaking. Then again, so are you". The last words slipped out before he managed to hold his tongue.

They sounded like an afterthought, yet Remus instantly wished he could take them back. Before he could say anything more, he took a quick gulp of whiskey to shut himself up.

Hermione stiffened. Did she hear him right? She took another sip, her hopes at odds with her reason. She must be tired and imagining things. He would not be flirting with her, surely? On the other hand, maybe… he always sought her out. He had gone out of his way to spend time with her during her studies, offering her all kinds of opportunities. Had she been ignoring clues?

Looking down to avoid looking into those hazel eyes while she decided what to do, the silhouette at his groin caught her attention. Did he really…? Deciding to throw caution in the wind, she took another sip of whiskey and gave him a small smile

“You’re, ehm, not so bad yourself. Professor.” She added the last word with stress, hoping it would come out as a joke. Instead, it sounded rather more seductive.

Now it was Remus’ turn to freeze. His already hard dick tightened painfully at the seductive accolade and it was all he could do to restrain the wolf inside. He had caught her glimpse at the offending appendage, so the response in combination with her arousal would suggest that she was at least flirting with him…

He took a deep breath trying to steady himself and to clear his brain. Even if she meant this, this was not an appropriate setting or time to do this.

He was her professor, for Merlin’s sake. He racked his brain for a reply that would defuse the situation and get her out of his office, before the wolf did something he regretted later.

“Well, thank you” He tried to smile and took another sip of whiskey, while simultaneously trying to angle his body away so his stretched slacks would not give him away.

“It, ah, seems it is quite late, so maybe we should wrap this up for today. I am really grateful that you helped me, I’ll let professor Grout know of your hard work”. He cringed at his own silly praise, but his addled brain would not allow him a more eloquent escape.

Hermione’s heart sank. She had misread the situation. Why else would he want her to go now? Hiding her disappointment, she squared her shoulders and turned to leave with a nod, trying to coax a consenting smile on her face.

Yet for all the confusion she felt she couldn’t help herself but seek his physical proximity once more, leaning close to him to set the glass down on the desk behind Remus. As she did so, her breasts brushed past his arms and he took a sharp intake of breath.

Hermione pushed away any confused thoughts about what this may mean. After all, he clearly wanted her out of his office.

That was all that mattered. She turned to grab her coat from the chair and reached for her bag.

As she walked to the door, she said, somewhat too heartily “Well, thank you Remus. It was an interesting evening, I, ah, really enjoyed the experience.” She could not bring herself to look at him, afraid that he would notice the hurt in her eyes.

As she reached the door, she heard footsteps. Suddenly, she felt lean, strong fingers close around her wrist, forcing her to turn around. Before she could say anything, she found herself pushed against the door, with her wrists pinned on either side of her with superhuman force.

His lips pushed against hers hard, as Lupin pressed his body against her. His strong hands kept her wrists pinned as she felt him meld into her.

Finally, he experienced the contact he had craved for so, so long. His chest was rising with a panting breath that betrayed the urgency of the kiss as he softly drew his tongue over her bottom lip.

Hermione was lightheaded with the euphoria of finally feeling those lips against hers, smelling his musky, almost tobacco-like scent overwhelmingly. His lanky frame, pressed so tightly against hers, felt so strong and so good after such a long time of wondering and fantasizing about it.

Hermione moaned into his mouth as his hungry kisses continued persistently. She felt the heat surge between her legs, a feeling of need that became even more pronounced as she felt his solid erection pressed against her lower abdomen.

Remus was lost. Her soft tongue was caressing his, then she softly sucked on his bottom lip. When she moaned, he was afraid that he would simply climax from that sweet sound alone. The swell of her breasts, those gorgeous, full breasts, was pressed against him.

His wolfish sense caught a stronger scent of pheromones now, ones that were unmistakably the product of the aroused woman before him.

Helplessly, he let go of her wrists and buried one of his hands in her hair and slid the other around her waist and onto her firm ass. He broke their kiss for a moment to fast on her neck, which she exposed so willingly that the wolf in him growled again.

Then, in a brief moment of clarity, he reflected what he was doing, desire and happiness at odds with reason. He could not let this go any further.

He needed to stop this. This was a very bad idea. With a Herculean effort, he managed to draw his lips away from those of the tantalizing, gorgeous witch before him.

In this disheveled state, she was even more appealing than ever, exuding the promise of utter sexual abandon. Yet he made an effort to slide his hand from her hair and draw his other hand from her firm bum and rest them on her hips.

She made an angry, mewling sound as he drew away, conveying her disappointment.

He took a deep breath and steadied himself.

“While I can’t deny that I want nothing more than to continue this…” his voice was gritty and he stopped to swallow, “I cannot fully trust myself due to the full moon, I’m afraid”.

He looked down, leaning his forehead against hers. He could not bring himself to look her into her brown eyes, which he was sure would be full of reproach. He closed his eyes, trying with all his might to tune out the wolf, who had very different ideas about what to do now.

Hermione closed her eyes too, savoring the feeling of the man before her. She also wanted nothing more than to kiss those lips again and to do many other things besides. But she knew better than to try and overrule Remus, because the issue with his wolf was not something to take lightly. For a moment they stood this way in an intimate embrace, neither quite sure what to do.

Then Hermione took a deep breath and broke the spell. “Next week”, she said quietly. “Next week, I think we may need to talk”.

Remus made a sound of agreement.

Then, with a little *pop*, she Disapparated.


	2. Whatever will we do?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After almost a week away to deal with the wolf at full moon, Remus is due back at the University. After their meeting last week, he and Hermione will have to have a serious conversation. Can Hermione convict him that they can have a relationship? Of will Remus override her because of his lycanthropy?

It had been a very, very long week, Hermione reflected as she lay in bed on Wednesday morning.

Remus had been absent after the events of Wednesday evening, which was not surprising given the time of the month. He would always be away for about a week, always being careful to schedule classes in a way so that he could be gone without issues.

After coming home after the evening in his office, she had felt strangely empty. 

On the one hand, she should have been happy. Something she had dreamt about for years had finally happened. And the experience more than lived up to the fantasy. But the way she felt sad about the way it had ended and Remus’ insecurity at managing himself.

To be given a glimpse of the prospect of exploring their connection, only to have it snatched away after such an intimate moment, was disappointing, to put it mildly. The past few days, she had been thinking about what she would say to him and what it was that she wanted.

Now, it was finally Wednesday. They would talk, and she would finally get to express what she thought.

She didn't care that he was her professor. She was both physically and mentally attracted to him and she was hell bent on getting that through to him. She was of age and an adult, both for Muggle and Magical law. She even looked into the statutes of the University and found that it was not strictly forbidden. 

So she had marshalled her arguments and she had been practicing them, trying to think how Remus might object and how she in turn could mute his objections. 

Before their talk, however, she needed to survive a morning of classed and a 2-hour class with Remus at the head of the room. And she really needed to get through this without her classmates suspecting anything out of the ordinary, as any weird looks from students would probably alarm Remus. 

As she was dressing, a moment of sheer insanity made her forgo underwear. Instead, she put on a demure black top, a skirt and cardigan, coupled with knee high socks and short boots. Taking a deep breath to steel herself for the coming day, she grabbed her bag and Apparated to the university.

Arriving at the classroom, Hermione felt her heart skip at seeing Remus again. As always, he looked a little unwell after the full moon, but Merlin, did he look gorgeous. She instantly felt a heat blossom below her navel as she took in his muscular figure. 

She made a point of walking up to his desk and greeting him as normal as she could, although she took a naughty pleasure in getting to call him professor Lupin.

He had turned a slight shade of red as she used his professional title and Hermione enjoyed the fact that he seemed to remember the last time she had used it.

Unfortunately, the tension between them made that, like the week before, she had a hard time keeping up with debate that took place in the classroom. 

In her mind, she kept going through her arguments, while sneaking glances at the professor at the head of the room. He seemed in good spirits as he moderated the discussion of the students, but she got the impression that he avoided calling on her.

While this would normally frustrate her, today it suited her fine, giving her time to marshal her thoughts.

She would begin with a rational sociological approach, stressing that their professional relationship need not be a problem. She would also argue that she, if anyone, was well aware of the complexities of their relationship, due to her extensive knowledge of creatures and Werewolves in particular. This meant that she knew perfectly well what she was getting into and she could even be instrumental in managing his condition. 

Her main argument however, was that she had actually been attracted to him for years and that this had blossomed into a love that she no longer wanted to deny. But would this scare the werewolf away? 

Before she knew it, the class was over. 

“Miss Granger?” Lupin called, again, this time waiting for most of the class to file out.

“Yes?” Hermione replied, her heart beating rapidly in her chest.

She had been dawdling to pack up her bag and waited for the last students to disappear. She sauntered over to his desk, taking her time and swaying her hips tantalisingly.

While it might be manipulative, she was hoping for him to be more amendable if he was aroused. She also thought he would be less likely to go into a lecture about the impropriety of the situation.

Shutting the door with a spell, she leant backwards against his desk, so that her breasts strained against the fabric of her top. She faced him as he was closing his briefcase.

He straightened up and with a twinkle in his eyes said: “You really have made my day very difficult by not wearing…” He blushed slightly as he broke of his sentence, then recovered.

“Would you please be so kind to be at my office in an hour? I have one more meeting before my day is over and I would like to have enough time for our meeting.” He met her eyes and the intensity of his gaze sent a shiver down Hermione’s spine.

“Of course, Professor” She tried to imbibe that last word with all the promise she could, yet trying to keep her breath from speeding up and betraying her anticipation.

Lupin took a quick step forward, his tall frame towering over her. The close proximity made it hard to think for Hermione, who looked up in his grey eyes. 

He leant forward. Very quickly and lightly he kissed her lips. She felt his tongue run over her lips ever so slightly, making her shudder and her nipples harden.

“You really know how to push my buttons, Miss Granger” He said softly, before stepping back.

Grabbing his suitcase, he walked over the door, which he opened for Hermione: “I’ll see you in an hour, then.”

After Remus stepped into his office, he shut the door behind him with a sigh and ran his hand through his hair distractedly, pulling at it. He mentally kicked himself for letting himself being seduced into physical contact by Hermione. But really, for the witch not to wear panties... she would have known that the wolf would notice and that it would drive him crazy. 

The last couple of days he had been plagued by conflicting feelings about the situation. As he sat down in his chair, he once again went over the debate he’d had with himself repeatedly since that Wednesday evening. 

He really wanted nothing more than to pick up where they left off on Wednesday, preferably with less clothes on. However, he needed to face the reality: he was her professor, old enough to be her father and a werewolf to boot. There were so many reasons this was a bad idea.

And yet… he could not deny the sustaining attraction that this witch held for him, nor the apparent enthusiasm with which she had returned his kisses the week before.

She was also an adult and one of the most mature people he knew. If she wanted something, he would have a hard time to convince her otherwise.

As he shuffled the papers around to find the ones he needed for the meeting, he decided that he would take the rational approach with Hermione and show her all the reasons why this would be a bad idea.

That was, if he could control himself long enough to not have her there and then on his desk.

After precisely one hour, Hermione knocked again on the hardwood door, this time entering before waiting for a reply. Lupin was standing at his desk, leaning backwards, looking nonchalant and sexy as hell, Hermione thought.

Hermione took her care to close the door behind her, warding it with a couple of spells just in case someone decided to interrupt their meeting.

She then carefully hung up her coat, buying herself time to slow down her heart rate and prepare her arguments. Turning around, she walked over his desk, coming to a halt in front of him, summoning her courage to give all her arguments for exploring their relationship.

She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything, his strong fingers seized her hips, spun her around and backed her against his desk.

After a second of surprise, Hermione gave in and wrapped her arms around his neck. As his mouth crashed on hers, he let out a growl of satisfaction, finally giving himself license to fully enjoy the feeling of this woman against him, her breasts, her hips all pressed against him.

All thoughts of a discussion forgotten, Hermione gave over to the urgency of contact that flowed through her, as she pressed herself against him.

Her left hand on the nape of his neck, her right hand travelled down cup his firm buttocks through the jeans he was wearing.

Remus wanted to feel every inch of her, one hand tangled in her gorgeous lush curls and the other skimming her waist, seeking a gap between her skirt and her top, wanting to feel her skin under his fingertips. As he skimmed her bare flesh with his fingers, she shuddered.

She pressed her pelvis against the bulged at his groin, eliciting a moan from his lips that were now pressed against the flesh of her neck just underneath her earlobe. She panted with the pleasure of feeling his tongue exploring her neck, his lips slowly moving down towards her collarbone. 

The feeling of his arousal pressed so firmly against her made Hermione yearn for more skin-to-skin contact. Her hands blindly began to search for the buttons of his jeans.

Returning to feast on Hermione’s soft lips once more, Remus seized her by her waist and set her on the desk before him, his easy strength surprising Hermione.

As if given license by Hermione’s decision that less clothes were in order, Remus’ hands began to wander, running from the nape of her neck down to cup the swell of her breasts.

His thumbs brushed over her nipples through the fabric of her sweater, hardening them even further. Hermione moaned, a sound that was music to his ears, making his balls tighten.

The wolf in him howled as Hermione finally managed to undo the fastening of his jeans and triumphantly managed to wrap her delicate hand around his bulging member through his boxer shorts, managing to free his length from the fabric.

Remus groaned against her lips. Like the week before, he was so incredibly on edge that he felt he could climax at any moment.

He stepped out of his jeans without breaking the kiss and positioned himself between her legs once more, closing the space between them. The absence of Hermione’s undergarments meant an absence of barriers, and the gleaming red head of his rock-hard cock pressed against Hermione’s wet and swollen entrance.

Hermione sensed his urgency, but obviously had different ideas as to how this should be solved. Leaning forwards, she pushed Remus away from her a bit while she traced kisses on his neck. Slipping her feet back onto the floor, she switched positions, so that Remus was leaning against the desk.

While one hand softly massaged his hardened dick, she continued her path of kisses from his jaw to his collarbone. Undoing the buttons of his shirt one by one, she took her time to place soft kisses, licks and small bites on the new surfaces that she uncovered.

By the time she arrived at his hips, his head was thrown back and his breath came in short, ragged breaths as he tried to control himself.

Softly, Hermione gave a small kiss on the top of hard manhood, eliciting a gasp. She followed this up by tracing with her tongue the length of his shaft, reveling in his length and girth.

Wrapping her lips around him, her tongue softly running along the underside of his dick, she began to take him in her mouth, bobbing a little further each time.

Hermione had always enjoyed oral sex. The feeling of fullness and the obviously pleasure it gave her partner made it rewarding. As Remus’ member was a substantial size, it took Hermione some time to relax her throat sufficiently to slide his cock all the way into her mouth, up until she reached the base of his shaft with her lips.

Meanwhile, Remus was quaking with an effort not to spill himself during her ministrations. The velvety softness of her tongue on his swollen head had almost already been enough to send him over the edge.

The sensation of the moist inside of her mouth softly sucking on his length made him utter a guttural sound. It was all he could to keep himself from bucking his hips and driving his girth further down the witch’s throat.

Hermione, sensing the werewolf was on edge, slowly pulled her lips back a little. Reaching up, she soft massaged the base of his rod, while moving her head a little backwards and forwards, allowing part of his length to slip in and out over her lips. While bobbing up and down, she glimpsed upward, to see her partner caught in evident ecstasy. 

Glancing down, seeing Hermione sucking on him with evident relish and glancing up at him, was too much.

With an exclamation, he bucked forward. His cock began to throb and he filled her mouth with gusts of the warm, sticky seed. Hermione closed her eyes and swallowed, savoring the feeling of his pulsing shaft between her lips and the immediate relaxation of his body that followed.

She remained on her knees for a moment, giving the werewolf a moment to compose himself. Then, she rose, cleaned herself and Remus up with a quick “Scourgify”, and leant into him again to kiss him. Remus was against the desk, panting, recovering himself from his orgasm.

Upon feeling Hermione leaning into him again, all the blood flowed back to its previous position and his orgasm from mere minutes ago was seemingly forgotten. He bent over to kiss her again, softly at first, then with a returning urgency.

Lifting her up, he wrapped her legs around his waist and carried her over to the couch near the fireplace. As they lay down on the couch, Hermione immediately reached down to massage his dick, which was already hardening again.

While Remus enjoyed the feeling of her soft hands and her leisurely stroking movements, he really wanted to taste her and could not wait to explore her body and womanhood. 

Breaking the kiss, he began planting little kisses along her jaw. Leaning on one of his hands, his other hand cupped her breast, softly teasing her nipple with his thumb through the fabric of her sweater. As he was kissing her neck, Remus briefly contemplated undressing her, but his curiosity for her taste got the better of him.

He placed himself between her legs and pushed up her skirt until he had a full view of her hot centre. For his wolfish sense of smell the scent was almost overwhelming.

Kissing first her mound, which was covered with soft light brown curls, he then kissed the inside of her thighs, working his way up slowly to her apex. Her clitoris was already enlarged from the days’ excitement, a testament to her arousal. 

He continued placing kisses all along her labia, keeping shy of any particularly sensitive area.

“Remus, please…” Hermione breathed, head thrown back into the pillows, eyes shut, biting her bottom lip in anticipation. Then, softly, he licked the swollen entrance that was already glistening with her wetness.

Hermione gasped at the sudden desired contact and bucked her hips.

Smiling to himself, Remus began to softly trace his tongue all over her sex, from her perineum to her clit, making sure his touch around her nub was featherlight.

Remus revelled in her taste. She tasted so good, a sweet musk paired with a salty tang. Another frustrated moan escaped from between Hermione’s lips as he continued his light attentions, still shying away from stimulating her too much.

Then, slowly, he slowly pushed one fingertip into her, very slowly pushing in and out of her slick entrance, pushing himself deeper millimeter by millimeter. He then turned his attention to her clitoris, sucking it softly and gently tracing circles around the little bunch of nerves.

Hermione’s hands were now clutching at the fabric of the couch as she moaned, as he worked his finger in and out of her wet pussy and flicked his tongue over her engorged nub. 

He felt her velvety walls tightening on his finger, preluding the orgasm that hit her only moments later as his lips were closed over her. She rode out her orgasm while Remus continued his attention with small licks. Then, when her sex became too sensitive, he placed little kisses on her thighs. Finally, as Hermione’s panting died down, he rested his head on her thigh to survey the beautiful sight before him.

By now, he was so hard again his balls ached. To distract himself for a moment, he sat upright to undo himself of the rest of his clothes. Hermione looked at him, contemplating, and stood up. “Please leave your shirt on… for me?”

Remus stopped unbuttoning his shirt, looking up at her questioningly. She shrugged and smiled: “I just love the way you look in shirts.”

“All right”, Remus said, chuckling, “but I do think you are wearing altogether too many clothes, miss Granger”. Hermione smiled mischievously.

“I think I can do something about that”.

Standing before him, she hooked her thumbs under the band of her skirt, drawing it down as slowly as possible, and keeping eye contact with him. As she discarded it, she was only wearing her grey knee-high socks, her top and her bra.

Remus, now only in his shirt and without boxers, unconsciously began softly stroking his length, mesmerized by the sight before him.

Slowly, Hermione also removed her top, then her bra. Remus' hand tightened on his rock-hard member. She left her socks on as she walked towards the sofa again.

When she came to the couch, she lowered herself to straddle him. He gazed up at her, grasping her hips with his strong fingers, his dick thick and swollen and poised beneath her.

Slowly, she sank down, letting him fill her slowly, inch by inch. Her head was tilted back, eyes closed as she enjoyed the feeling of fullness and contact that she had waited for so long.

Remus felt his length enveloped by her soft wetness, the warm pussy tightening on his length.

When he filled her entirely, she lifted herself slowly and she began riding him, one hand tangled in his hair. Her head was tilted back in ecstasy as she ground her hips into his, seeking to take him as deep as she could.

Her breasts bounced up and down with her movements and Remus was captivated by her beauty. He pulled her towards him, his hands on her hips, forcing her to slow down. He softly licked her lips as he pumped in and out of her as slowly as he could. Hermione gave a drawn out moan and her hand in his hair tightened. 

All too soon, Remus felt that he would come if they continued in this position. Lifting her without breaking their contact, he laid them down on the couch, Hermione beneath him.

They moved in sync in an intimate embrace, Remus sliding his length in and out of her, sometimes fast, sometimes slowly.

Hermione kissed his neck and licked over his collarbone, her nails digging into his lower back as she bucked his hips to allow him deeper entrance. Remus looked at the beautiful woman underneath him, eyes closed, her cheeks tinged pink, blushes on her breasts and her hair in a tangle.

She whimpered as filled her up completely.

Then, she looked up at him and he was lost. He buried his face in her neck, convulsing with his orgasm as he came deep inside her. Hermione moaned with pleasure as she felt him throbbing between her legs, the weight of his body so welcome on top of her as she rested her head against his. 

As they lay there, entangled, Remus drowsily reflected that he never thought he’s be so happy.


	3. New directions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Falling into each others' arms is one thing, but the talk they both envision never happend and Hermione and Remus will need to find out what they want. Will this be a beginning, or will it end as quick as it started?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It turns out I wasn't done with this fic yet. All the usual disclaimers apply.

They lay on the sofa, covered by a blanket that Hermione had conjured pulled over them. Remus’ long fingers were tracing lazy circles on Hermione’s upper arm as she rested her head on his chest.

Suddenly, Hermione giggled softly. “What is it?” Remus asked, puzzled, his mind a bit fuddled by his post-orgasmic relaxation.

“Well, that wasn’t exact talking, was it.” She asked, a small smile playing on her lips. Remus chuckled, “Well, no. And I think that is a good thing, because I had a very long list of reasons why this was a bad idea.”

“And for each of those reasons, I had several arguments why you would be wrong” She said decisively, snuggling closer to him.

After laying on the couch for an hour or so, talking about nothing much, Remus said: “I think it is probably best that we leave in a little while. They always clean the offices here, so unless we want to startle some very poor house elf…”

Hermione uttered a little noise of disagreement and buried her head in his neck. She was warm and comfortable and happy in his arms and the last thing she wanted to do was to leave.

Remus sensed her disappointment and he was fortified by the idea that she wanted to part as little as he did.

“If you… Erhm” He scraped his throat, “If you want, we could Apparate to my place and… well, I’d love to make you breakfast tomorrow” he blurted out, feeling apprehensive and unsure of himself. He really did not want to leave her company, but he also wasn’t sure whether the young witch would want to spend the night.

Fortunately, Hermione looked up, a smile spreading across her face happiness lighting up her eyes. “I would love that!” For a moment, she’d been afraid that he’d change his mind about the situation or that he would simply want her to leave, but it seemed the opposite was true.

They dressed quickly and, pulling Hermione close to him once more, Remus Apparated to his cottage.

When the war was over, Remus decided that he wanted peace and quiet whenever he felt like it and he decided to find a place to live that afforded him that.

Since Apparating allowed him to live almost anywhere in the UK, he wasn’t bound by a location. He’d found a lovely cottage in Wales, overlooking several hills and not too far from the coast.

The summers were mild and the winters cold, which was something he greatly appreciated. He loved taking walks along the stormy coast, almost no people around him and nothing but the sea and the wind in his ears.

And, almost more importantly, the cottage had a very big cellar which he used for the days surrounding the full moon.

He Apparated into the living room, which was a cozy, rectangular room with whitewashed walls. Wooden bookcases lined one of the walls and a record player was standing on a cabinet in a corner by the window, a collection of records piled next to it. A lumpy green sofa took up one side of the room, facing a fireplace.

Through a small corridor was a sizeable kitchen, with a large wooden table and four chairs. Hermione looked around, immediately feeling thoroughly at home. Her own apartment was in a suburb of London and a lot more sterile, even though she had been trying to make it cozier for the past three years that she’d lived there.

Remus lent Hermione an old T-shirt and boxers to wear and, as he exited the shower, she was sitting cross-legged on the bed waiting for him, wearing his faded green “Save the Grindylows” t-shirt that Sirius had given him a few years back. She’d dried her hair with her wand and her curls were cascading down her back, giving her a golden halo. 

The shower had been glorious, as she’d stood there under the beams of water, her eyes closed, reveling in the evening’s events and where she was right now. She briefly wondered where they would go from here, but pushed these thoughts out of her mind. It was no use to worry.

Remus joined her on the bed, still toweling his hair.

Of course, Hermione had found one of the books that was lying next to his bed.

She was leafing through it, although she snuck glances at this bare muscular torso and the pyjama bottoms that were clinging to his hips.

“I love Grimm’s fairy tales. I never knew wizards read them, too.” she mused, quickly focusing again on the book in her hands.

“Well, some do. There are some who think that the brothers’ Grimm were actually Squibs who had magical parents.” Remus banished his towel back to the bathroom and lay on his side. 

Hermione lay down, too, snuggling against Remus' chest, still looking through the book.

“When my parents read them to me when I was small, I’d always imagine what it would be like if magic was real. I also hoped I would one day meet a prince who would sweep me off my feet.”

She yawned contentedly, lay the book down next to the bed, whispered “Nox” and the lights went out. “Guess I’ve found him” she said, as she turned to lay her head on Remus’ chest, just as she’d been on the sofa in his office.

Remus breathed in her scent as she lay there, curled against him.

Quickly, her breaths became shallower, then deeper as she dropped off to sleep.

At first, Remus wondered whether he would able to sleep after such an uneventful evening.

He also wasn’t used to sleeping with anyone in his bed anymore.

He was used to being alone and keeping everyone, especially potential partners at a firm distance. But the warm body pressed against him and the exhaustion of the day caught up with him and he soon drifted off into blissful sleep. 

The next morning, Hermione woke up in a bed that was not her own. The linens smelled different, a delicious cedar smell, and the duvet was heavier. Moreover, she sleepily realized, she wasn’t alone.

Pressed against her back was a warm, comfortable body that was quite a bit larger than her own. An arm was flung possessively over her waist, resting on her hip where the unfamiliar t- shirt had ridden up in her sleep.

Slowly, her brain emerged from her sleep-fogged daze and she realized where she was. She realised is was still quite dark out and the comfort of the bed made her snuggle contentedly into the bed and against the person behind her. 

Then a gruff voice, rough with sleep and muffled by the pillow in which the speakers’ faced was pressed, said “Hermione… If you move any more, it will be very… hard for me to get out of bed in a moment”.

The evening before came flooding back to Hermione as she was suddenly very aware of all parts of Remus’ body pressed against her.

Now fully awake, Hermione smiled mischievously to herself.

Teasingly and agonisingly slowly, she continued her movements, feeling his fingers tighten on her hipbone as she felt his engorged member pressed against her. Groaning, he began kissing her neck as his hand began travelling upwards to cup her breast.

However, as Hermione opened her eyes, she saw the alarm clock and gasped.

“Shit! Shit, shit, shit! I have a class in 45 minutes! I must have forgotten to set my alarm!” Instantly, she got up and began looking for her clothes.

“I’m really sorry Remus, but I need to be there, it’s mandatory attendance”.

Remus squeezed his eyes closed for a moment

“Flobberworms. Flobberworms. Flobberwords”, he thought to himself, repeatedly, trying to get his blood to flow into different areas of his body. A little while later, he also left the bed. Hermione was pulling on her sweater, then stood on tiptoes to kiss him. He looked apologetic. 

“I’m really sorry, I didn’t realize you had morning classes today. Are you sure you don’t want a cup of coffee before you leave, ‘Mione?”

“I’m sure. I really need to go past my apartment to change before I go class. You know, get _properly_ dressed”. She winked at him and he felt a tightening in his abdomen as he realized, yet again, that the witch before him was not wearing panties underneath her rather demure outfit.

Standing on tiptoes, she softly kissed him on the lips. She grabbed her bag, then turned back to him.

“I guess, I’ll… Well…” She blushed a little and seemed at a loss for words. “I really, really liked… this. Yesterday. So, uh, I was wondering if you’d, ah, liketohavedinnertonight?” She blurted out the rest of the sentence, afraid that if she’d stop talking, she’d never get the question out.

Remus’ face looked pained.

“I’d love to, I’d really love to, but I have this meeting at the university tonight that will probably run quite late and tomorrow I promised Shacklebolt to dine with a delegation of the Bulgarian Ministry who are looking to improve their Werewolf litigation.”

“Oh, well, uhm, that’s alright”, Hermione said, trying to look casual to hide her disappointment. “That’s fine, let’s just…”

Remus once again felt a stab of strong affection for the woman before him, who looked crestfallen at his apparent refusal. He stepped forward and pulled her close to him, kissing her lips. 

“But course I want to see you. As soon as possible. How about Saturday? We can go walk at the beach and I’ll make us dinner? Then we can also finally talk.” He looked at her searchingly, hoping she’d say yes. "I'll can pick you up at two?”

Personally, he thought it would be a fine feat if he could keep his hands from her for 10 minutes, but being outside would make that a bit easier, he thought. 

Hermione gave a broad smile and then said “Yes! That would be lovely”. Then, she kissed him again and with a *pop* disapparated.

As it was the beginning of February, Saturday brought a clear but chilly day. At a little before two in the afternoon, Remus Apparated to the door of Hermione’s flat. He was dressed for a day outside, wearing jeans, a sweater (knitted by Mrs Weaesley the last Christmas) and hiking boots. 

The past two days had given him time to think about the events of Wednesday. He also reflected on his earlier resolve and concerns about the situation. Thinking it all over had brought the realisation that he really did love the younger witch.

Also, a stern talking-to by Sirius late Thursday night at Grimauld place helped. Remus sighed as he thought back to that evening. 

“You really are a sulky git, sometimes, Moony. You know that, right?” Sirius sat across from him at the table, glass of Firewhiskey in his hand.

He was looking at Remus with a mix of wonder and irritation. Remus returned his gaze wearily over his glass of red wine.

“You have the chance to have a relationship with this gorgeous woman, a witch who obviously wants you, you go ahead and have mind-blowing sex…” Sirius shot him an exasperated look “… and now you are worried about _consequences?_ ”

Remus cocked his head and sighed “I’m just worried that she doesn’t realize what she’d getting herself into. You know my previous relationships were… fraught.” He took a sip and muttered as afterthought, “It doesn't help that I have a wolf who crashes around my mind about a third of the bloody month.”

“So what?” Sirius asked, shrugging. “If she finds out you’re too much, she’ll let you know. From what I’ve seen from the fabulous miss Granger she knows how to take care of herself.”

“But…” Remus tried to interject.

“No ‘buts’, Moony. You might get hurt. Yes. Fair enough. But what is life without risk? James would have given you a good kick up your arse if he would have seen you like this.” 

“But she’s still young… And the wolf…” Remus tried again. 

Sirius waved his arguments away. “That witch is smarter than the two of us combined. She survived being on the run from You-Know-Who, for Merlin’s sake. Don’t flatter yourself, Moony. I think she can handle you just fine.” 

Remus sat in silence, thinking about what Sirius said, then groaned and pulled at his hair, burying his face in his hands in alcohol-fuelled vexation. “I hate it when you make some sense, Padfoot.” He glared at him.

Sirius grinned at him. “I'm known for my brilliant, Moony, glad you've caught on. Now... Does she have any hot friends that I should know about?”

As he recalled himself from that conversation, Remus knocked at Hermione’s door.

She opened, slightly breathless. “Hi, Remus!”

Hermione had opened the door wearing a grey sweater, dark skinny jeans and boots, looking thoroughly ready for the cold day. He couldn’t help but notice how radiantly happy Hermione looked to see him and how nice she looked. 

For a moment, they both seemed at a loss for what to do, their intimacy from days before seemingly forgotten.

Then Hermione stepped forwards, grasped both of his hands and stood on tiptoe to kiss him. Very softly, her tongue ran over his bottom lip. Then she broke this kiss, smiling broadly. “Come in!” She stepped aside to let him in.

Her flat was quite simple, organized and clean. But the one key feature were the books. They were everywhere. On the desk in the corner, on the little table in the living room, on the sofa…

“I’m sorry for the mess” she blushed a little as she led him into the kitchen. “The place needs a tidy, but I’ve been, well, busy.” She shrugged her shoulders. 

In truth, she’d had a hard time concentrating after Wednesday, daydreaming about their encounter and worrying about what they would do. As the library had always been the one place where she could focus, she’d spend most of her waking time there. Unfortunately, this meant that her housekeeping was a bit behind. 

Remus, however, only had eyes for her as she made them two mugs of tea. After not seeing her for two days, he was flooded by a warm feeling, just by being in her company once again.

He was also fighting the urge to bury his hands in her lush curls and to resume their kiss. He managed to contain himself, however, and simply accepted the tea she offered him.

She looked at him over the rim of her mug as she took a sip. “So, how were the meetings?” she asked, setting herself down across the table.

Remus looked at his mug for a moment before answering, pondering her question. “They were okay. I have to say, the Bulgarian delegation was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be.” He smiled at her.

“They were really quite interested in the changes that we’ve made in the policy here recently. I think I might make the Bulgarian case a topic in the class for next year, actually.”

They began chatting about the program for the class and soon enough their tea was gone.

Draining her cup, Hermione looked at Remus expectantly. “Shall we go? I’ve really been looking forward to some cold fresh air.” She looked like a puppy who couldn’t wait to go for a walk.

He felt his chest warm at her enthusiasm and got up, extending his hand to pull her up.

As she stood up, he pulled her closer to him and into his arms. “I’ve missed you” he murmured, before kissing her again.

This time, the kiss was different. It held some of the expectancy that their earlier encounters had also contained, containing the promise of much more. As it deepened, Hermione’s hands snuck under his sweater and rested on the small of his back, her nails digging into his skin ever so lightly. Remus reveled once again at her soft lips and was almost overwhelmed with the sweet scent of her hair, which smelt faintly of lavender.

As they broke the kiss, Hermione looked into his eyes. “I’ve missed you too”.

They Apparated to a stretch of beach not too far from Remus’ cottage, where they walked along a coastal path near the cliffs. The wind was cold and Hermione was happy she’d brought gloves.

For a while, they walked in silence, neither quite sure what to talk about, their earlier conversation about the university exhausted. Then Remus remembered his discussion with Sirius, gathered his courage and scraped his throat. 

“So, about Wednesday…” he started, hesitantly. “I think we still need to talk”

“I agee” Hermione said matter-of-factly, grabbing his hand. 

Remus turned to her, then looked out over the sea.

“Look, Hermione… I might not have handled Wednesday as well as I should have. After all, I am your professor and your senior and I should have…”

Hermione have a small snort of laughter.

“What, stopped me? As I recall, we were both quite enthusiastic” Her face softened. “Remus, let’s not make this about right or wrong again. Please?”

Remus sighed. “Thing is, ‘Mione, that it does come down to that. At least for me. Being a werewolf means that I’m not my own master, in more ways than one. You know this. And I can’t just… start a relationship at will, without being very sure…” 

Now she looked away, hurt bubbling up in the pit of her stomach.

Remus saw her reaction and realized how clumsy his words must have sounded. “Mione, don’t get me wrong. I _am_ sure. But I need to know that you are, too. And that you know very well what you’re getting yourself into.”

He looked into her eyes. His emotions were a jumble as he waited for her answer, as nerves, fear, elation and panic followed each other in quick succession.

Then she said, softly: “Did you know that I’ve been attracted to you for as long as I’ve known you? That I’ve loved you ever since I realized what that word meant? Because that is what you are to me.” She took a deep breath. Remus felt his heart swell at her word. 

“I don’t generally date.” She shrugged. “I’ve never met a man who could compare to you and every time I tried, it was your face that I wanted to see when I woke up. But it never was. And now I have the chance to finally, finally find out…” her voice trailed away and she looked away again, staring at the hills behind them.

After a moment, she regained her composure. She looked up again, her eyes now ablaze with defiance. “I am damn well sure about wanting this, Remus John Lupin. And if you do not give us a chance, I will honestly hex you six ways to Sunday.”

Remus didn’t know what to say, looking at this gorgeous witch who was so stubborn, so beautiful and whom he loved so much. So, instead, he kissed her.


	4. To love, to hold, to... obey?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a somewhat turbulent start of their relationship, it seems all is now peace and quiet... until Remus discovers a side to Hermione that he never suspected.

They quickly fell into a comfortable rhythm. They were both quite busy most weeks, but Hermione would spend a few free evenings every week over at the cottage. As the weather improved, they often went for walks in the hills. On chillier days they spent most of their time in front of the fire, each reading a book.

It was on one of these days, near the full moon, that they sat huddled on the sofa with their books and steaming cups of tea on the side table. To Hermione’s amusement, Remus was re-reading the Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm.

He just started “The three little men in the woods” when he was suddenly distracted.

His senses had been ramping up again in the run-up to the full moon and he suddenly became aware of a sweet, musky scent that captivated him. It was the same that had also incapacitated him weeks before...

It seemed that witch next to him was quite aroused.

His curiosity peaked, he leant over to grab his tea-mug, asking casually: “What is it that you’re reading, ‘Mione?” 

Without taking her eyes from the book, she answered “Well, it’s this Muggle book that Ginny recommended.”

Then she looked up, a slightly exasperated look on her face. “It is absolute drivel to be honest. It is really poorly written and completely terrible.” She shut it and looked pensive. “But… well…”

Remus look at her, now extremely curious what it was about this terrible book that would make her so aroused. “Yes?” He asked, keeping his voice mild.

“Okay, so, it is about BDSM. I’m not sure if that’s also a thing in the wizarding community?” she asked, a faint blush on her cheeks.

“From what I understand it is mostly a dominant and submissive kind of relationship that may or may not include the infliction of pain for pleasure.”

Remus chuckled inwardly at her precise and academic explanation. He nodded. “It’s actually not at all uncommon, especially among werewolves, actually.” 

He scraped his throat, which had now become a bit dry. Surely this wasn’t the reason? 

“Quite a lot of people nowadays use this as a way of dealing with their lycanthropy, either as a dominant or a submissive. Although, at certain times of the month, their preference for a role may change.” he gave a rather wry smile.

“Werewolves all seem to favour dominance near the full moon. And, over all, I think it BDSM may even be a little more prevalent among wizards than among Muggles, seeing as magic makes certain, ah, things a lot easier.”

He looked at her with interest, seeing that she was trying to think what to say next.

He pulled her against him and rubbed his thumb over her hard nipple through her t-shirt, a smirk playing on his lips. “So, what is it about this book that has gotten your… interest, ‘Mione?”

She now blushed a furious red. “I keep forgetting the damn full moon is this close” she muttered, annoyed and embarrassed.

She took a deep breath. “I’m not…quite…sure, but I do find the idea of being a submissive appealing, I guess”, she said, frowning and seemed to be working through her thoughts as she spoke.

Remus didn’t laugh but looked thoughtful. “Why, exactly?” 

“Well, I like it when you’re… dominant, for one thing”.

This was something that she’d noticed during their time together.

As a rule, Remus was generally incredibly soft-spoken, kind and very relaxed. However, sometimes the wolf got the better of him and this changed. At these times he would be a lot rougher with her.

He never hurt her: he would find the thought unbearable. But she would notice he would be more demanding, holding her wrists or her waist tightly, or telling her what to do. She found it incredibly sexy and her body responded with equal enthusiasm.

“I also like the fact that it demands a certain self-control and obedience.” She looked at her hands. “I really like rules and strictness. It’s why I did so well at Hogwarts and now at university. I guess this would be an… extension of that.” She didn’t really dare look at him.

While he probably wouldn’t laugh, he would probably find it weird that she entertained such thoughts. And she didn't think he would have similar interests.

It didn’t help that she had no experience in this area. She’d had serious relationships before, but they’d never been as intense as her short time with Remus.

She hardly ever got to the point where she discussed sexual preferences with her partners. This idea of being dominated was not new, exactly, but she’d also never had a partner who she’d be interested in trying it out with.

Remus was absent-mindedly rubbing his thumb over her nipple again, making her shiver.

Then he scraped his throat.

“Is there anything in particular that you find interesting?” he forced his voice to remain neutral, trying not to betray the enthusiasm of the wolf on hearing his gorgeous partner explain interest in being dominated.

Hermione’s answer was so soft that he didn’t catch it. “Sorry love, I didn’t hear that”.

Hermione took a breath, decided to throw caution in the wind, and repeated: “Spanking. And I guess, being obedient.”

Quickly she backpaddled a bit, adding hastily “I don’t think I’d be into the whole lifestyle. Having it as the constant focus in your relationship. I just think it would be… fun… to try…”.

Her blush was back to full force, and Remus felt a tightening in his lower body.

He considered for a moment. Then he said, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes: “Well, if you would like to try…”


	5. The experiment

As Hermione entered the classroom the following Monday for her next class with Remus, a thrill of nerves and anticipation ran through her. 

Unconsciously, she tugged her dress down over her thighs, a little nervous someone might divine the fact that she was once again missing some crucial garments.

A constant refrain of “I must be mad, I must be _mad_ …” was running through her head. Yet she was also strangely aroused at the thoughts of what this day had on store. 

After their talk earlier that week, Remus had suggested trying an experiment. When she left the previous evening, he had given her a list of exactly what to wear and instructions as to her obedience, which she was to follow to the letter. 

If she made a mistake, she would be reprimanded, the list said.

Nervously, she entered the classroom. Remus was already at the head of the class, looking gorgeous as ever in dark slacks and a jacket, a white shirt and a tie.

He greeted her courteously enough, neutral as ever.

They had been very good at concealing their relationship from staff and students. Even though it wasn’t against the rules, they both felt that it would be better to wait for Hermione’s graduation, which was a mere three months away anyway, before announcing their relationship to the world.

The instructions for obedience had been fairly simple. She should not speak unless spoken to and she was not to participate in today’s debate without receiving a nod from him first.

This meant that she needed to pay close attention to Remus, even though students were usually free to interject. She went to sit near the front of the class, where she could see Remus clearly.

For Remus, this first experiment was a test to see Hermione’s restraint, testing her in a playful way.

He knew she was bad at keeping quiet if she disagreed with anything, and he was curious to see how well she’d do.

He’d found her interest in playing this game beguiling and was sorely tempted to give her a task she was more likely to fail. However, for fairness, he decided she deserved something easy for this first time. 

The first half class went well enough. Several students made clear arguments for and against the strict regulation of the trade of Occamy shells.

Several times, Hermione had made a move to speak, then with a quick look at Remus decided against it. He was now hard pressed to keep himself from smiling. If she kept this up, he could simply reward her.

He wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing, or whether he was a little disappointed. Secretly, he thought he’d like to see how she’d react if he did have to punish her. At this thought, he felt blood rush to his lower extremes and he quickly focused on the debate again, grateful that he’d decided to sit down behind his desk.

Hermione, in the mean time, was battling her frustration. She found it much harder than she thought to simply sit there and listen. The arguments that her fellow students were making were mediocre at the best of time and today wasn't much better. However, Remus had steadfastly refused her imploring glances and she had obediently followed suit. 

After a while, he occasionally gave her permission to interject with an almost imperceptible nod. He’d mostly done this because the arguments had become more boring and he’d needed her to stoke the debate, which each time she did.

However, near the end of the class, one student had managed to talk himself into a rather nasty corner and somehow managed to extend the topic to werewolf management. After a painful silence following his inconsiderate words, an indignant Hermione had given him a scathing and eloquent reply. Unfortunately, she had not waited for Remus’ acquiescence.

When she realised what she'd done, her eyes widened and she looked at Remus, as slightly apprehensive look in her eyes. 

When she looked at him, he cocked his head ever so little to the side with a slight smirk, as if to say “Too bad”. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks as she realized she’d failed the instructions.

Hermione still felt her cheeks glow as she put her books in her bag at the end of the class. She was mortified that she’d already failed the first time she’d tried this. However, by now her nerves and arousal were augmented by a slight exasperation. 

The git of a classmate had been insufferable and Remus knew it. She’d seen it on his face. 

Yet, she admitted to herself, the prospect of giving herself over to Remus made a tendril of excitement curl in her abdomen, and she unconsciously she squeezed her legs together as she felt the heat and moisture bloom at her core at the thought of Remus in his offic. 

“Well, I may have failed”, she thought, “but at least I can do my best to take my reprimand well”. She shut her bag and gathered her coat. 

“Miss Granger”, Remus said, calmly when she walked past his desk out of the door, “Would you please be so kind to be at my office in ten minutes? I wish to talk to you about your term-paper”. He looked as relaxed and as nonchalant as he had ever been.

Slightly thrown by his demeanor, Hermione answered, feeling flustered “Erh, yes, ehm, Professor Lupin.”

Her eyes quite big, her hands pulling down her dress again, Remus thought she’d seldom looked more beautiful and more wanton. The wolf inside him growled as he thought about what he had in stock for her.

Yet again, she was standing in front of his door, possibly even more nervous than the last time she’d been here. At least then, things had certainly gone the way that she wanted them to. Now she apprehensively wondered what was waiting for her. 

Steeling herself, she knocked.

“Come in”. His voice sounded normal enough, Hermione thought, as she apprehensively opened the door. Closing the door behind her, she turned around, her nerves making her pause, taking inventory of the scene before her.

Remus was sitting behind his desk, which was empty this time. His tie was a little looser and his jacket was discarded.

“Well, miss Granger”, he said softly as he rose. “I think you did rather well today, but I’m afraid you did not manage entirely to keep to the instructions I gave you.” He stood, raised his wand and silently warding the door.

Hermione felt a fluttering feeling in her stomach and her breath hitched. Something in his manner exuded an aura of power, his nonchalance not quite threatening, but holding the promise of absolute control.

The wetness between her legs seemed contradictory to her nerves, yet she was so aroused it made her heart beat fast and hard in her chest. 

“Please come here” he said, still in that soft voice.

She obeyed silently, walking towards him around the desk, never breaking eye contact. She came to a halt in front of him. She wanted to apologize, but her tongue would not obey. 

“Seeing as you failed, you will receive appropriate punishment” he said, looking away. He took his time to carefully unbutton the cuffs of his sleeves and rolling them up. He did not look at her as he did so, but the bulge in his slacks gave her some idea of his enjoyment of the situation.

She made a small sound, part nervous squeak, part moan in response to his words.

He looked up at the sound, a small smile at his lips. “I will not tolerate any arguments, miss Granger. After all, you said you wanted to try this. Unless you have changed your mind?”

He arched an eyebrow. Silently, she shook her head, her eyes locked on his, a hunger in them that made his already hard cock throb painfully. 

He pulled the chair backwards and sat down. “Please position yourself over my lap” he said, leaning backwards.

Hermione obeyed the best she could, but the pose was awkward. Trying the keep her balance, her hips were now positioned over his lap and she could feel his hard dick pressing into her. She felt a little embarrassed at the position. She wasn't used at all to giving over all control to a partner. Yet being at his mercy was strangely exhilarating. 

“Relax, miss Granger, that will make this a lot easier”. His voice was still soft and he placed an arm over her lower back, keeping her forcefully in place.

He took a few slow breaths to keep control of himself. Her absolute obedience was intoxicating. Slowly, he pushed up her skirt with his free hand, revealing her bare bottom. She had followed his instructions regarding clothing exactly.

Hermione was still trying to find a comfortable position and she felt the blood rush to her head. She squirmed, almost sliding off his lap. With a loud *smack* and a stinging pain Remus chastised her. 

“Stay still, miss Granger. I do not want you to fall”. His grip on her hip tightened.

Hermione had given a small yelp as he spanked her, but immediately stilled. Remus made an approving sound.

Then slowly, agonizingly, he ran his hand over her soft white cheeks. His engorged dick strained against the fabric of his slacks as he ran his finger over her smooth flesh. Hermione revelled in the caresses of his hand, which were soft and tender. 

Every time his fingers came close to her core, she her breath quickened.

He ran his fingers over the back of her thighs, slowly inching higher and higher. When he almost touched her wet entrance, he diverted his course back to the roundness of her pert arse.

Hermione had begun to relax a little under his ministrations, her eyes closed and her legs edging apart as he touched her. She silently urged him to touch her where she ached with pleasure.

Then, she felt him cup her cheek, softly rubbing her flesh.

The sudden *thwack* caught her by surprise. She gasped, followed by a guttural moan as the slight sting contrasted with her throbbing sex. 

Remus smiled and resumed his massaging of her flesh. Unconsciously, she widened her legs further. Her reaction pleased him. He didn’t need his wolfish scent to tell him that she had just become even wetter.

She made a small sound.

“What was that, miss Granger?” he asked, again running his hands softly over her cheeks and thighs.

Softly, he heard her moan “Harder…. please”

Groaning to himself, he obeyed, now spanking her a little harder, twice in succession. He had initially thought start with six spanks, but he was not sure he could keep himself in check for that long.

Hermione gave a small cry, more from pent up frustration that anything else.

His hand had strayed again, softly tracing her flesh where her soft orbs met the top of her thighs. This time, he did not pull back when he reached her entrance and he softly slid a finger over her wetness.

She sighed as his fingers drew a path from her wet and swollen entrance up to her clit. Then, slowly, he pushed one finger into her, feeling the hot flesh throb around his digit, slowly pushing in and out of her.

Hermione felt her clit pulse with his attentions. The hot patches where his hand had landed were still stinging slightly and it was every bit as arousing as she had imagined it to be. 

When he stopped and returned his hand to her backside again, she gave a frustrated mewling sound.

He chuckled to himself.

“Impatient little witch, are we” he said to her, administering another spank. This time, his hand left a slightly red mark and the woman under his hands gasped a little louder at the pain.

Again, he let his hand wander, continuing his attention to her pussy. She was so wet it that even the tops of her thighs were moist. Softly, he drew leisurely circles around her swollen clit, eliciting panting moans.

The next spank was a little harder still, leaving yet another print on her creamy flesh and eliciting a little yelp, followed by a groan. She was now carefully balanced on his lap, her legs as wide apart as she could to give him entrance without sliding from his lap.

He gently dipped his hand again and began tracing a path again, from her wet pussy up to her clit and back down. Each time, he pushed into her a little further before drawing out again and trailing back her bundle of nerves and rubbing it slowly before filling her up again. Her panting became faster and he felt her walls tighten as she was precariously close to coming.

Deciding to end the punishment on a note of pain rather than pleasure, he withdrew his hand and added one final *thwack* on her bottom.

Running his hand over the red skin to sooth it, he said: “I guess that it enough for one day, miss Granger. You can stand up now.”

She took a deep breath, needing a moment to come back from her near-orgasm and the pain that followed it, filling her with a strange dual sensation.

She rose and stood before him, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright. Slightly abashed, she began pulling down her skirt, no quite meeting his eyes.

“Well, miss Granger, will you follow my instructions more closely next time?” he asked, sternly, standing up, trying to make his movements unhurried and remaining composed. All he really wanted was to bend her over his desk.

“Yes professor” she said, breathlessly.

Slowly, he moved forward until he pinned her against the desk. His look was almost predatory and once again, Hermione was once again caught by his aura of power. She looked up, searching his eyes to see what he wanted next.

He brought his hand up, softly encircling her throat with his hand. He saw a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. Then, he buried one hand in her hair and pulled her head back, kissing her neck as his other hand came up to cup her full breast, rolling her nipple between his fingers.

Her body was trembling with need as she felt his lips and tongue assault her neck. She felt his rock-hard cock pressed against her and she wanted nothing more than to feel him inside her. Her breath had hitched as his hand encircled her neck. It had felt both heady and a little intimidating to feel his dominance over her take such an absolute turn, but if anything, it had aroused her even further. 

As she moved down to unzip him, he caught her hands in his. His vice-like grip kept her in place as he pulled back with a smirk. “What do you think you’re doing, miss Granger?”

She looked at him questioning, but remained silent as her hands stilled. He kissed her lips softly. 

“I think you might need a little positive reinforcement, before anything else” he said, as he lifted her on top of the desk. He pushed her dress back over her hips. The leather was cold under her flesh, which was sensitive from the spanking and her throbbing arousal. She leant back on her hands, her chest heaving.

Remus kneeled before her and gazed up at her. She looked beautiful. Her hair was disheveled, her cheeks were red with blushes and she licked her lips in anticipation. She also sat a little gingerly, as the reminder of his punishment was still stinging.

The wolf felt smug. She had obeyed him – at least for the most part - and received her punishment well. He really couldn’t wait to fuck her, bent over the desk, taking his pleasure from her. 

However, he felt that she deserved some reward for how well she handled the situation. He kissed her mound, the soft curls set off by the soft, wet flesh below. He trailed kisses down to her lips, sucking her sensitive little nub and finally pushing his tongue into her entrance, eliciting a long moan.

He reveled in her scent. He couldn’t remember ever having a partner who was so responsive, so sensitive to his touch, so eager.

For Hermione it was almost too much. The touch of his tongue against her core after the lengthy arousal almost sent her over the edge. As he used a finger to fuck her and started tracing circles around her clit with his tongue, she panted “Fuck, Remus…”, her head thrown back in ecstasy.

Taking his cue, he stopped and looked up at her mischievously. “Yes, miss Granger?” He said, standing up and positioning himself between her legs.

She looked up and bit her lip. “Please fuck me before I come” she said, softly. 

She knew that the wolf loved it when she talked dirty. She usually felt uncomfortable doing so, but she felt a desire to please him and somehow the situation made it feel less… sordid.

Remus growled and kissed her hard as her hands undid his belt and unzipping him. Freeing his rod, she softly massaged him, her hands steady. She moved closer to the edge of his desk, his sensitive head already touching her inviting wetness.

Slowly, he buried himself into her. She shuddered with pleasure as he filled her, moaning into his mouth as he began moving his hips.

It felt agonisingly good to finally have him enter her after the prolonged torture of the day. She was clawing at his shirt, opening it to feel his flesh beneath her fingers. His fingers were digging into her hips so hard that she was sure she would have bruises in the morning. She didn’t care. All she wanted was to feel him deeper inside her, closer to her. 

His quickened his thrusts and Hermione withdrew one of her hands to softly massage her clit. Remus felt her inching closer to an orgasm and matched his pace with her. It was hard to contain himself, as her tightening pussy was driving him crazy. As she came, she gasped"Oh, professor..."

Remus couldn't control himself any longer and spilled himself deep inside her.


	6. I said I would...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to update! I've been thinking about where to take this fic and I'm not sure yet. However, in the mean time, here's a small filler.

Remus came home and set his leather briefcase on the floor. The day of teaching had been exhausting: the first day after his time away always was. With the super moon prominent in this month, it had been worse.

He unwrapped his scarf and thought about the essays he still had to correct, decided whether to do them that night or whether he could fit them in his day tomorrow instead.

As he unbuttoned his coat, he called out: "'Mione? Are you home?"

In answer, Hermione ambled down the stairs, wearing one of his flanel shirts, leggings and socks, carrying some books and a notebook. Her face lit up as she saw him. "Remus!" she exclaimed.

As she came to the bottom of the stairs, she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him, carefully holding her quarry so she didn't drop anything. 

"I didn't expect you back yet." she beamed at him. Remus caressed her cheek, but couldn't help noticing that the unbuttoned top of his shirt gave him a rather nice view of her bra as he untangled himself from his coat.

Scraping his throat, trying to focus instead on the witch in front of him, he quickly said "I was lucky, the meeting tonight was cancelled. You know how they get with budget meetings. But it seems the head of the department had another engagement, so... However, I do believe you have been thieving from my wardrobe again, you cheeky witch" he chuckled, pulling her against him. 

Hermione stood on tip toes again to kiss his cheek, looking slightly abashed. "It's just too comfortable... I promise you'll get it back" she said, in a slightly plaintive voice.

Remus chuckled. "Well, as long as I do". 

They walked into the kitchen and Remus saw that her hair was pulled up into an elegant chignon, a stark contrast to the homeliness of the rest of her attire. He knew she hated using Sleekeasy Potion, so the occurrence that she did was rare. 

Hugging her from behind when she laid the books on the table in the kitchen, he breathed in the scent of her hair and asked "What warranted the fancy hair today?" 

Hermione sighed happily as he nuzzled her neck.

"We had the Ministry visit today." Her voice told him that it hadn't been like she expected. 

As they prepared dinner, Hermione told him about the visit of her class to one of the Ministry departments that handled the drafting of policy documents. She was unimpressed with the state of affairs she witnessed, something that seemed to happen more and more the further her education advanced. 

As Remus poured them a glass of red wine, Hermione gave an exasperated huff. "Well, at least I know that I don't want to work _there_ " 

To hide his smile, Remus took a sip of his wine. Hermione was never very impressed with the Ministry goings-on and while she was very interested in policy, it was quite obvious that she wouldn't work for the Ministry if she could help it. 

"Have you given any thought to what you _do_ want to do? With graduation only months away, you could start applying for positions?" he asked, carefully ladling out portions of hot stew into their bowls. 

Hermione looked pensive. "I have. Of course I have." she sounded slightly weary. "The problem is that there aren't that many jobs outside of the Ministry that are policy-focussed.

They fell silent for a moment, as they chewed their food, each sunk into their own thoughts.

Remus picked up his glass again to take a sip and said, thoughtfully, "Have you ever thought about the Muggle Liaison office?"

Hermione looked at him curiously and shook her head. "I thought that was part of one of the Ministry Departments, the Muggle Affairs office?" 

"No, they actually created a complete department some... three years ago I think? A friend of mine works there. Ophilia. She was in the same year as James, Sirius and me. I could arrange for you to meet for coffee, if you would like?" 

Looking slightly sceptical, Hermione considered the food on her plate. "I guess... What makes you think I would like working there?" she sounded a bit worried. 

Remus chuckled. "Well, let's say that they have a penchant for doing their own bidding. They work with computers, for one. As far as I know, they are the only Ministry department to have adopted that so far. And their brief is to liaise with the Muggle Government, which they are quite free to do as they think is best. They overhauled the department after the Battle of Hogwarts, as they finally realised that closer ties with the Muggle Government would make our lives easier." 

Hermione already looked more interested. "Well, it sounds interesting, at least! I guess, yeah. If you wouldn't mind organising it?" she looked at Remus. 

"Of course." He smiled, quite confident that she would at least like Ophilia, if not the Department itself. 

They cleaned the kitchen, and retreated to the sofa with big mugs of coffee for Remus and tea for Hermione. Hermione took the books and the notebook with her she'd brought downstairs. She needed to prepare an essay for Legislative History of Britain and wanted to get a head start on the writing. Remus tried to read a novel he'd been reading steadily over the past few weeks, but noticed he was hard pressed to keep his mind on the book. 

Hermione was leaning against the armrest of the sofa, her feet on the couch, notebook balancing on her knees. The shirt was still only buttoned three-quarters of the way and Remus wondered whether she'd done it on purpose.

Instead of reading the book, his mind constantly wandered to the witch sitting only feet away from him, clad in skin-tight leggings and showing off her beautiful breasts. 

As his thoughts had once again drifted off into a completely inappropriate direction, which featured a blind fold, hand cuffs and no little amount of massage oil, he sighed and closed the book. 

Hermione looked up from her notes and smiled. "Tired?" 

"Something like that. I think I'll go and have a shower." Remus said, standing up and stretching involuntarily, trying to hide the erection that was pressing into his jeans. 

"Alright. I'll be up in a minute" She said, returning her attention to her book. 

"Will you then return my shirt to the rightful owner?" Remus teased her. 

"I promise" she said, rolling her eyes and sighing in mock-exasperation as he chuckled and left the room. 

Remus exited the shower and grabbed one of the fluffy blue towels from the rack. Putting on some boxershorts, he dried his hair as he wandered into the bedroom. 

Hermione, waiting for him, had taken up residence in the bed, reading a book. She had taken off her leggings and socks, but was still wearing his shirt. 

A smile tugged at Remus' lips as his cock twinged. She was laying on her stomach, her legs a little apart. She was wearing black knickers, which were spanning her gorgeous ass tightly. He could just make out the contours of her womanhood. 

He growled softly and said in mock sternness "I thought I told you to take my shirt off, miss Granger"

Hermione smiled, but didn't look up. Instead, she lazily turned a page and said "You'll get it back in a minute... I was just waiting for you to be done". 

Remus carefully folded the towel and placed it over the chair near the desk to dry. "Is that so?" he said, softly, a dangerous note creeping into his voice.

"Yes. It is" she looked up at him and stuck out her tongue.

She quickly looked down at the book again. The sight of him straight from the shower made her insides clench. She took in his taught stomach and his muscled arms. How she wanted to lick the drops of water that were still on the skin of his shoulder...

She smiled to herself and decided that she would definitely use her tongue on some part of him after she'd had a shower too. 

Remus walked to the bed casually, bending over as if to look at what she was reading. Instead, however, he knelt next to he and pinned her wrists down with one hand. 

"Remus!" Hermione giggled. She wriggled to free herself, but as always, the grip from his long supine fingers was vice-like. 

"You..." he said, running his hand through her hair, tugging her head back softly so she looked up at him. She saw his dilated pupils and notices his erection through his boxer shorts. He had the fierce look on his face that had taken her breath away in his office.

"I.... what?" With some effort, she looked at him levelly, obstinately, a defiant smile on her lips. 

"....are..." he now kissed her, deeply, running his hand down her back to her panties, squeezing her cheeks. When he broke the kiss, she licked her lips, still looking up at him, her hands still pinned in front of her. 

"...being..." he now tugged her panties down. As he didn't want to let go of her wrists, he could only slide them down her thighs, but it was enough. He massaged one of her butt cheeks, raking his nails over her skin softly. 

She groaned softly as he touched her, heat building up at her core. She had laid her head on her arms, submitting to his dominance.

"...willfull." He smacked her bottom, once.

The admonishment wasn't hard, but it was unexpected.

Hermione gasped, bucking her hips. Immediately, her body remembered the pleasure that had followed the last time she was spanked and wetness flooded her folds.

Her breath became ragged as his hand returned to his former position. He cupped her ass, the warmth suffusing her not-yet smacked side.

Hermione tried to widen her legs, to entice him to touch her where she needed to feel his fingers. Yet this was made impossible by the panties that restricted her movement and she could only open her legs so far by straining against the fabric. 

Remus noticed her struggle and chuckled. "Oh no, miss Granger. You will not get your pleasure that easily"

She gave a plaintive moan that turned into a sound of pure frustration as he smacked her again, this time quite a bit harder. 

Remus relished the feeling of power he held over the witch. She submitted so easily to him when he asked, even though she was usually anything but docile.

His hard dick twitched as he thought about taking her from behind in the position she was in now, pinned underneath him, no choice but to submit to him. 

The soft skin of her backside was now showing the red mark where his second spank had fallen and he quickly marked the other side to match it. 

Hermione gasped audibly as his hand hit his target. For a moment, Remus was scared he had been to harsh, yet the moan that followed persuaded him otherwise. 

"Hmmm... It seems you can take quite a spanking, 'Mione" Remus said, as he massaged the flesh to lessen the sting.

In response to his now soft touch, she raised her hips again in a silent plea for him to extend his ministrations. Remus, however, kept his focus on her bottom. 

"You know, maybe I should do this more often. Next time when we're in class and interrupt another student...?" he chucked and spanked her again.

She moaned an incoherent reply, her breath ragged. The tension between her legs was almost unbearable. Her clit was throbbing and swollen. Her muscled clenched and she was sure the wetness from her entrance was staining the bed. 

Remus' own arousal was now at breaking point, too. 

He let go of her wrist and held himself up on two hands to keep his weight off Hermione, instead straddling her thighs to pin her underneath him. 

Freeing his erect member from his boxers and pulling her panties down as far as he could, he positioned himself between her legs. Hermione arched her back to give him access, her little mewling sounds urging him to enter her.

Then, he pressed the head of his throbbing rod against her wetness and entered her slowly.

She gasped as he pushed into her. The position made her pussy extremely tight and Hermione revelled at the experience of feeling fuller than she had ever been. 

The tightness was challenge for Remus, however, who had to still himself to stop himself from coming straight away. He breathed heavily for a few moments.

Hermione arched her back and brought herself up on her elbows, seeking contact with his chest. 

She clenched the muscles in her pelvis, eliciting a gasp from Remus, who needed every ounce of self restraint not to come. 

"You...are...evil" he said, softly, when he regained control of himself, punctuating each word with a thrust forward. Now it was her turn to gasp, as this position created all kinds of delicious pressure inside of her. 

"Oh Merlin... Professor..." she moaned, digging her nails into his arm, which was resting beside her head. "Please... please fuck me harder" 

Slowly, he pumped in and out of her, careful not to go too fast, relishing the tightness of her pussy enveloping his cock. Her moans were driving him crazy. She sounded caught in sexual abandon, lying underneath him, her neck bared to him, moaning whenever he pushed into her. 

He felt the tightness building in his balls, his imminent orgasm overwhelming any and all other faculties. 

Hermione felt his muscles tighten and clenched her muscles in response, pushing him over the edge. 

With a gasp, he pushed into her one final time and came. 


	7. The job interview

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Slight warning: very serious lemons.*

Two weeks later, Hermione was nervously looking into the dressing room mirror in Remus’ bedroom. She would finally meet Ophilia, after Remus had arrange they would meet for coffee.

Hermione had spent the last two weeks in a slightly worried state. She had always expected she would figure out what she wanted to do with her life when the time was there to find a job. But in reality, it was proving to be harder than she thought.

The war had already disillusioned her to quite some extent with the Ministry, but Shacklebolt’s work as Minister had done a lot to restore her faith. That, however, was on a metaphysical level. On a practical level, the level that she now had seen numerous times during her studies and two internships, she had been thoroughly disappointed.

The departments were ineffective and nepotism still rife. While this wasn’t a huge shock with a community as relatively small as the wizarding community in the UK, it still galled her. 

Yet Remus’ praise of Ophilia was so insistent that Hermione had decided to give the idea of working for a Ministry one more chance. It didn’t help, either, that she didn’t have the faintest notion what she would do otherwise.

Her relationship with Remus was so serious now that she couldn’t bear to move away to work in another countries’ Ministry. Even with international Floo or Portkeys she would be away for weeks at a time.

So here she was, in her favourite dark red dress, sophisticated low black boots and her hair in a bun, hoping to make a good impression.

“You will be fine, love” said a soft voice behind her. As she had stood staring at a random point in the mirror, thinking about the situation, Remus had entered the room and looked at her for a couple of minutes.

She sighed, a little dejectedly. “I know. It’s just… if this doesn’t work out, I wouldn’t know what to do.” She looked up and met his eyes in the mirror.

For a moment she allowed herself to focus on him, just his presence, the little lines around his eyes, his dark grey irises, his stubble. She gave her head an imperceptible shake and returned to the present. She took a deep breath and checked herself over in the mirror.

“But I guess we’ll find out” she said, bracingly.

She Apparated into an alley near the café where she would meet Ophilia, a little place in Canary Wharf in London. Nerves surging in her stomach, she tidied the scarf around her neck, hid her wand in the sleeve of her coat and set off to find the meeting place. 

She was purposefully early, figuring she would avoid an awkward impression should she be held up for whatever reason. 

In front of the door was a portly woman with androgynous features, short cropped hair of a light brown-blond colour and a man's coat. She corresponded roughly to the description Remus had given her.

She was, however, looking on something in her hand, which as Hermione got closer, appeared to be a mobile phone. Confusedly, Hermione thought that this couldn't be Ophilia. 

Yet as she drew level with the café and paused, the woman looked up and smiled at her, a broad and inviting smile that crinkled her eyes and turned her rough features into a picture of friendliness. 

"Miss Granger?" 

"Erhm, yes! Ms Clark?" 

"Yes! Lovely to meet you" She shook Hermione's hand. "Although no one calls me that. Nor Ophilia, actually. Just call me Fi" she chuckled, amicably, as she held open the door for Hermione. 

Hermione led the way into the tidy little café, a little flabbergasted at the witch's demeanour. She was so different from most of the Ministry employees that she met, with the obvious exception of the Weasleys and Tonks. Mostly people were hell-bent on formality and somehow strangely devoid of humour. This woman seemed instead to be genuinely happy to meet Hermione and to posses a rather buoyant personality. 

When they were seated and had ordered their coffee, the witch looked at Hermione appraisingly. "So, you're the witch who finally managed to get Remus to settle down, eh?" she said, her face cracking again into her merry smile.

Hermione felt her cheeks burn, although she wasn't quite sure why. Remus had said he told Ophilia about their relationship, yet this witch she had just met was one of the first people to know. Yet it felt strangely confidential and, returning the smile, she said "Yes, I guess I am". "Although he didn't need settling so much as allowing himself more happiness, I think" she added, as a bit of an afterthought. 

"True" she other woman conceded with a slight chuckle. "Well, I'm glad. The man deserves all the happiness he can get." She nodded with finality. 

"As I think he'll have said, I know him from Hogwarts. He was in my year, although I was in Ravenclaw. Ran into each other occasionally after Hogwarts, kept in touch. He's helped out once our twice at our department, actually. Shame I could never convince him to work with us permanently: he's a star with Muggles" she chuckled, as she looked out of the window, apparently reliving some memory.

Hermione was listening raptly, thoroughly enjoying this new information about a side of Remus' she'd never encountered. 

After staring into space for a few seconds, Ophilia returned her attention to Hermione. "He's told me quite a lot about you. Seems very impressed. And knowing Remus, that says something. So, tell me a little about yourself!" She said, leaning forward, genuine curiosity and enthusiasm evident on her goodnatured face. 

Skirting around her activities during the war - which thankfully Ophilia didn't ask about - Hermione told her about her studies at Hogwarts and her continued education at Reading, first completing her Bachelor's degree and then her current Master's. 

She told here about the studies she'd done at the various dragon reserves during her internship and her placement at an international trading liasons office for wizards, where she'd been responsible for the writing of memo's regarding prohibited magical goods and trading standards (it had made her appreciate Percy a lot more, but had thoroughly bored her after a couple of weeks). 

Carefully, she even broached her dislike of the Ministry departments she'd seen, eliciting a thunderous laugh from Ophilia. 

"Yes, Remus told me about your very healthy stance towards our Magical overlords" she chuckled. "You're quite right, of course, and it's been a pain trying to even reform our own department in the last couple of years. I think we've done a fair job though" she said, shrugging slightly, then falling silent as the coffee was served by a waitress, who looked slightly puzzled at the conversation and the mention of "Magical overlords". 

Just as the waitress left, an obtrusive ringing noise came from the pocket of Ophilia's coat. 

Flapping her hands in a comical way, she exclaimed "Sorry! Sorry! Didn't put the bloody thing on 'Silent'!" 

To Hermione's astonishment, she pulled out the Muggle mobile phone again, which she quickly silenced by pushing a few buttons. 

"So sorry, that's very rude of me" she said, a little breathless. 

"You have... a mobile phone?" Hermione asked, still a little dumbfounded. 

"Oh, yes" Ophilia said, matter of factly. "No other way of talking to the Muggles nowadays" she said, as she put the phone back into her coat pocket. 

"Now, what were we talking about?" she said, looking around distractedly. "Oh yes, Ministry. Well, tossers, mostly the lot of them. Few good'uns mixed in, but not the best crowd generally. That's why we keep to ourselves" she said to Hermione, without any apparent embarrassment. 

Hermione looked at her, thoroughly speechless. She'd hardly ever heard anyone talk about the Ministry that way, let alone a Ministry employee. 

Ophilia chuckled at Hermione's somewhat scandalised look. "Oh don't worry, dear, you really aren't the only one who has little patience for that type of bullocks." She looked at her appraisingly. "Though I dare say it will make you fit in very well at our department."

Intrigued, Hermione asked: "What is it that the department does nowadays? I mean, I remember the folders from when we were picking careers in fifth years, but I think it only said something like needing enthusiasm and patience?" 

She was again rewarded by the thunderous laugh as Ophilia threw her head backwards with mirth. "Oh dear, I remember those! Merlin, those were made by my predecessor. Those were awful" she pulled a face of distaste, though still smiling. 

"No, I'm glad to say we are quite a bit more professional nowadays. Our main brief is to stay in touch with the relevant Muggle officials. A lot more have been cleared for knowledge about us since the war, so there has been a lot more work. We also laise with the Obliviation team, the Dangerous Artefacts team, and a bunch of other ones. We also attend quite a few international conferences to check how other communities deal with Muggles and how we can improve cooperation. We also tend to collaborate with a lot of other departments, making sure that the new policies that are developed are Muggle friendly." 

Hermione's face had increasingly lit up. "That sounds really interesting!" she exclaimed, now leant forward over the table. "I love it when policy spans various departments, it's much more challenging to write a good piece and get everyone on board!" 

Ophilia chuckled at her enthusiasm. "That is true and it is nice to shake up the other departments when we get the chance" she said, as she winked at Hermione, who sniggered. 

They continued talking for some time, Ophilia outlined the more specific tasks that her department performed and told Hermione about some of the legislation she had successfully rewritten to be more Muggle-friendly and often improved in the process. 

After over an hour, another intrusive ring of the mobile phone alerted them to the fact that it was already 15:00. "Oh dear" Ophilia said, her face falling. "I'm afraid I must get going. There's an urgent call from the Artefacts department, apparently."

Hermione smiled and shrugged "That's alright, work comes first!" 

Ophilia nodded and put the phone away, then looked pensively at Hermione. "True, but I really was enjoying our chat."

She fell silent again, then seemed to some to a decision. "Well, I'll cut to the chase. You seem like the perfect witch for my department, my dear, and I would love for you to join our team. What would you say if I offered you a 6-month contract at the department, so you can see if you like it as much as I think you will? Pay would be according to the senior wage-level and I'll make sure you get a nice office." After a moment's thought, she said, "Although, I think you might like being in an office with Cleo..." 

Hermione looked at her, speechless for the second time that day. 

"So, what do you say?" Ophilia looked at her eagerly. 

"Well.. Yes, I mean..." Hermione spluttered, then took a deep breath. "What you've told me today sound absolutely fabulous and I would love to work with you!" To her embarrassment, her enthusiasm made her voice trial off into a squeal at the end of the sentence. Ophilia however, simply smiled at her, obviously happy with her answer. 

"That settles it. We'll hash out the details by owl, or you can swing by the department at any time you like and we'll arrange it!" 

She shrugged on her coat and stuck out her hand to Hermione, smiling broadly. "Welcome to the team!" 

Hermione returned to the her own apartment in a very good mood. The meeting had gone so well that it had reinstated a new feeling of purpose in her. The fact that she now at least had some idea of what she would be doing from June onwards had lifted a weight from her shoulders. She knew Remus was teaching today and wouldn't be done for another two hours. 

This gave her enough time for what she had in mind to thank him for his efforts with Ophilia, as she had thought of a surprise for him. Walking to her bedroom, she dug into her closet, looking for a blue box that had been laying around for quite some time now. 

With a determined "Hah!" she tugged it from the back of the wardrobe. It was the result of a rather tiresome day shopping with Ginny months ago and contained a set of scandalous lingerie with stockings, red panties that were so flimsy they hardly deserved the accolade, and a red bra that strongly emphasised her already ample breasts. 

At the time, Hermione had insisted she had no use for any such thing as she wasn't even dating. But Ginny had insisted she'd wanted to gift the set to Hermione, as "she'd been a spinster long enough". Grudgingly, Hermione had accepted, only to chuck the box to the back of the wardrobe the same day, a painful reminder that she in fact, didn't have anyone to wear it for.

Having remember its existence only a couple of days previous, Hermione thought this was the perfect day to finally put the set to use for its ultimate goal. 

She carefully put on the stockings, bra and panties and considered herself in the mirror. Unlike the last time she'd tried the set on, she now felt extremely sexy - rather than the expensively dressed escort she had felt at the time. 

She tried to decide what to wear over the set when her eyes fell on one of her long coats. Smiling to herself, she took it from the hanger and shrugged it on, checking herself again in the mirror. Perfect. 

With a *pop* she Apparated into the hall of the University, near the classroom where Remus was teaching. He would be done in a few minutes, so Hermione took a book from her bag and, careful that her coat still covered her completely, sat down on one of the hallway benches to wait. 

At 16:30, the door to the classroom opened and students filed out. Closing her book, she got up and waited until the last couple students had filed out. She stepped into the classroom and closed the door behind her, warding it silently with her wand and at the same time casting a disillusionment spell over the windows so that no one would see what was happening the classroom. 

Remus was standing bent over the desk, organising papers and said, without looking up, "I'm sorry, the class is over. If you have any questions...?" his voice trailed off as he looked up and saw Hermione. 

"'Mione! This is a pleasant surprise! How did it go with Fi?" 

Hermione walked up to him and gave him a searing kiss, pressing into him. "Really good" she beamed. "She offered me a place after graduating, at least to see if I like it!" 

Remus beamed back at her. "That is fabulous news!" he said, tucking a stray curl behind her ear and kissing her again. "We should celebrate!" 

"Well..." Hermione said, looking at him mischievously. "Is there any class in this room later?" 

Remus looked slightly puzzled. "No, I am always the last one here on Fridays. Why?" 

Hermione didn't say anything, but simply began unbuttoning her coat while she maintained eye-contact. 

Remus swallowed difficultly as his eyes followed her fingers. "Oh Merlin" he said softly, his voice rough, as her coat fell open and displayed nothing but the bra, panties, stockings and black pumps she was wearing. She slid the coat from her arms and threw it on a nearby desk. 

"I thought we could celebrate here" she said, a wicked smile on her lips. "I've already warded it... And I know how you've been fantasising about bending me over your desk, professor" she said, emphasising the last word as she leant forward, pressing her breasts against him to kiss the stubble on his cheek and trailing a line of kisses until she'd reached his lips.

Licking his bottom lip slowly, she brought up one hand to trail over his chest and pressed herself even closer to him, feeling his already hardened cock press into her lower abdomen. "I know you want to" she whispered in his ear, her hand now in a determined downwards movement. 

The change in his demeanor was almost instantaneous. Remus made a sound somewhere between a growl and a groan. He caught her wrist in his strong fingers, causing a flush of heat between her legs, the wetness that had already been present since this idea had formed in her mind increasing, a slight throbbing manifesting itself in her clit. 

His eyes darkened and he held her wrist in his hand tightly, twisting her arm slightly and immobilising her. He leant forward and slowly brought his lips to her ear. In that calm, controlled voice, that gave her goosebumps, he whispered: "You really are a very naughty girl, miss Granger." The grip on her wrist tightened for a fraction, bordering on painful, then he let her wrist go. 

Hermione's heart beat hard in her chest as she held his gaze. She was still getting used to his dominant side and his strength occasionally still surprised her. Yet she knew he would never actually hurt her. 

Stepping back, Remus seated himself in the wooden chair behind the desk, crossing on leg over the other, looking up at her, fully in controle and aware that she knew. A smile played on his lips. The only thing betraying his arousal was the evident bulge in his slacks, which Hermione eyed eagerly. 

"So, what was it that you had in mind, Miss Granger?" he said softly, his head cocked to one side. 

"Well, professor" she began, her voice a little hoarse, "I thought I could, ah, do an oral exam..." she said as she stepped forward, licking her lips. 

Remus continued to look at her, raising an eyebrow, "Well, I think we could arrange that" he said, uncrossing his legs and unzipping the slacks. He released his long, hard member and looked at her expectantly. 

Without saying anything, Hermione knelt in front of the chair between his legs, looking up at him. She wrapped one hand around his dick, massaging him gently. Remus bit his lip, looking down.

The sight before him was one from dreams. Her creamy skin contrasted with the deep red of the lingerie she was wearing, which fit perfectly. He could see her erect nipples press through the fabric of her bra and saw the shape of her labia through the flimsy fabric of her panties. 

Slowly, she licked the dark red weeping head, up and down, as she looked into his eyes. The relish was apparent on her face and Remus had to stifle a moan looking at her.

Threading one hand through her hair, he encouraged her to take his length into her mouth and she allowed him to push through all the way to the back of her throat. She gagged slightly at the quick intrusion, but recovered and relaxed her throat to accommodate him. She drew back slightly, then moved forward again, bobbing her head ever so slightly, her lips now at the base of his cock. 

Her eyes were closed as she focussed on the rhythm of breathing as she moved back and the slight choking feeling as she moved forwards.

Remus knew not to push her too far or to hold her in a forward position too long; on an earlier occasion when he was too enthusiastic, she had used her teeth in a subtle but painful way to warn him as the choking sensation became too much.

Today, however, she seemed hellbent on maximising his pleasure, taking him into her mouth as far as she could and extending the choking sensation as long as possible. She had to admit to herself that it gave her a thrill to see how long she could keep it up and the tightness of Remus' fingers in her hair and the fullness of her mouth gave her a perverse pleasure. 

Remus leant his head backwards, his eyes closed as he let himself get lost in the feeling of pure sexual abandonment. Her mouth was warm and smooth, her tongue softly massaging his cock as she deep-throated him. The realisation that he was receiving the best blow job of his life in one of the university classrooms - technically by a student - somehow made the situation even more arousing. 

All too soon, however, Remus guiding hand in her hair steered her backwards. 

Following the guidance, she pulled back, although she kept stimulating him, superficially sliding the head between her lips. Remus fingers tightened in her hair as he drew her back further. 

"While you are doing most excellent, Miss Granger" he said, his voice a strained with an approach to calm as he struggled to contain himself, "I really must insist on a change". He stood up and pulled her up by her wrists. He wiped her lips with his thumb, cupping her cheek.

"I think you promised to bend over the desk, Miss Granger" he whispered in a low growl in her ear, before softly biting her neck. His hand slid from her cheek to her neck and tangled in her hair at the nape, pulling her head backwards to give him more access. 

Hermione mewled, her breath now in little pants of arousal, her wetness making the fabric of her knickers cling to her labia. Remus' other hand trailed from her neck to her breast, rubbing his thumb over her nipple then dipping lower, cupping her mound and pressing his middle finger against her entrance through the fabric. She was so sensitive she gasped, lightheaded with the sensation. 

"Good girl" Remus growled, delighted at her wetness, continuing to draw his finger lazily back and forth from her entrance to her clit over the sodden article of clothing. "Please..." she moaned.

"Please, what, Miss Granger?" he whispered, continuing to lazily stimulate her, drawing continued mewling sounds from her. "Please fuck me, professor" she breathed, finally, as she couldn't stand it anymore. 

"Alright" he said, as he drew his hand away and released her hair. She opened her eyes and drew a deep breath, trying to dispel the dizziness of the prologued stimulation. Steadying herself, she turned around and leant over the desk, her hands spread to support herself, her legs spread a little to give Remus easy access.

Remus settled himself behind her, enjoying the view thoroughly. He chuckled softly. "Well, I'll certainly miss this when you graduate" he said, running his hands over the orbs of her pert arse. He hooked his fingers under the fabric of her knickers and slid them down her thighs, brushing her labia as he did so and eliciting yet another moan. 

Positioning himself behind her, Remus pressed the head of his rock-hard cock against her wet entrance, entering her only with tip of his member.

Hermione wriggled her hips in protest. "Please" she moaned, "deeper, Professor", a strong desire overtaking her to be fucked so hard that she could see stars. She wanted to feel him inside her, to take her ruthlessly. 

Deciding it was unfair to torture the witch further, he sank himself into her with a single thrust, filling her utterly. Immediately, he drew back almost entirely, only to push back deep into her. He set a relentless pace, Hermione gasping every time he filled her, his fingers digging into her hips.

Then, slowing down, he bent forward and kissed her shoulder, now taking her slowly, deliberately. "Oh Gods..." he moaned, slowing even further, savouring the tightness of her pussy, the sight of her frame bent over the desk, the pure perversity of the situation. "Hmmm... how often have you fantasied about this, Miss Granger?" he asked, his voice no longer controlled but hoarse with lust. 

"So...Often.." she gasped, in-between thrusts. Her knuckles were white as her fingers dug into the desk, her pleasure threatening to overtake her. If Remus chose to even touch her clit, she thought she would come. 

Sensing the witch's predicament, Remus leaned forward and growled in her ear "Go on, love. Touch yourself. Come for me" 

Reaching down, Hermione rubbed her clit, almost immediately feeling the waves of her climax building in the walls of her pussy, tightening around Remus' engorged dick, pushed deep into her. She cried out as she came, her knees buckling, leaning on the desk and shaking with the force of her orgasm. 

No longer able to control himself, Remus thrust into her, one, two, three times as she convulsed, then, he came too. 

After they'd cleaned themselves up, Hermione had redressed herself in the sparse clothes she had been wearing and they'd lifted the wards. As they stood pressed together for side-along Apparition, Remus pulled her tighter against her and kissed her hair. "I'm really happy for you" he said, smiling, and with a small *pop*, they Apparated home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know that mobile phones are anachronistic with regards to the original timeline of HP, but hey, no fun just sticking to the rules, right? Hope you didn't mind the kinky lemons!


	8. A night to remember

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry you've had to wait so long for the continuation of this fic. I promise it is no abandoned, but life - as it does - got in the way. I promise there are at least some 4 more chapters to follow, so bear with me.

The rest of the academic year flew by in a flurry of classes, essays and exams and before Hermione knew it, it was June.

Knowing that she would have a job to look forward to after graduation made a world of difference, as it allowed her to fully focus on the last few months of her degree. 

It also helped that she and Remus now had a comfortable rhythm together: she would spend most of her time at the cottage, only going back to her apartment when the full moon approached.

Usually, she left three days before the full moon and came back two or three days after. Remus would be tired and sore when she came back, usually, but fully himself otherwise.

It had come to a point where the cottage felt more like her home than her appartment had ever done. 

"I just don't know if its a good idea, Padfoot"

Once again, Remus was seated at the kitchen of Grimaul place. This time, a tumbler of Firewhiskey was in front of him and he was eyeing it mutinously. 

Sirius was looking at his best friend with an eyebrow raised so high that it threathened to get lost in his messy black hair. He opened his mouth to say something, thought the better of it, and just took a gulp of his own drink. It was useless to argue with Remus when he got morose.

Instead, Sirius usually just let him talk in circles until he solved his own problem. 

"I mean, it doesn't make sense, right? Why would she keep her appartment in London? She goes to see her parents about every other week and she can apparate there. She spends most of her time at the cottage now anyway. She only leaves when.... well, when she really can't stay for a bit"

Sirius made a noncommital sound, trying to decide whether he could get away with hunting for a packet of crisps while Remus' frustrated gaze at his glass looked intense enough for it to go up in flames. 

"But then she'd have to. Stay in the house that is, during that time of the month."

Sirius grouchily realized this probably wasn't the best moment to look for those crisps. Although they probably were in the left bottom drawer. 

"But how in Merlin's name could I make sure she's safe?! I mean, I can take a cabin like Owen does or I could fortify the basement. That would mean at least I'm around... But maybe she should just keep her apartment. Why would she even want to live with an old werewolf like me?!"

Remus took a dejected swig from his drink, the mutiny gone from his eyes, replaced by a look of dejected uncertainty. 

Sirius decided it was time to start helping Moony, otherwise they'd be stuck here for a very, very long time. 

"Well mate," Sirius said, standing up and stretching, "seeing as this is a witch is willing to come to you, as your teaching, wearing nothing more than some lingerie and a coat, ready to let you bend her over your desk..."

"Why in the name of bloody Merlin did I tell you about that..." Remus groaned, a blush creeping over his pale cheeks. 

"Because of my irresistable charm and you're a good friend. You would want to know if some gorgeous witch begged me to shag her over _my_ desk, would't you" Sirius grinned at him.

"No mate, my point is, that this witch - all intelligence aside apparently - is quite into you. So much so, that she goes out of her way to make you happy, so to speak." He started rooting around in the kitchen. 

Remus gave a grudging nod of his head, staring at his drink again. 

"And last I checked, you were also quite fond of sad witch" His muffled voice came from a cabinet. 

Remus gave a dry chuckle and moved to take a sip of his drink. 

"Well, you say she doesn't leave unless it's that time of the month, which I take to mean yours, not hers" Sirius said, as he triomphantly pulled out the packet of crisps from one of the cabinets. Turned out it wasn't in the drawer. 

Unfortunately, Remus had just taken a sip of his drink and now dissolved into violent coughs at Sirius' remark. 

Sirius snorted. "Well, Moony, I do take that you are familiar with that part of female biology, yes?" 

Rather than answering, Remus simply glared at him. 

Trying to marshall his features back from his grin, Sirius continued. "Well, it seems to me that miss Granger is smart enough to know when to not mess with a werewolf, for one. And two, I think she'll expect you to ask her soon. And it would be a shame if she got the impression that you _didn't_ actually want her to move in."

Sirius looked at his friend questioningly. 

Remus sighed. "It's not that. I'd love for her to live at the cottage. But..."

Sirius waved away his tirade of reasons why it wasn't a good idea. 

"Moony, at some point you're going to have to accept that if you want to be happy, you need to take certain risks. Yes, it'll take some time to figure out how to live together with... your furry little problem". Remus snorted. "But you can't let that stand in the way of happiness forever, mate. That's just wrong" Sirius said sagely. 

The animagus sounded way too smart for his own good, Remus thought once again. Though maybe, if the Marauder actually made sense, it would do him good to listen to him for once..." 

So, after Sirius convinced Remus that, yes, it really was a good idea, Remus had taken the leap and asked Hermione to move in. The question was met with a delighted squeal and a couple of hours in bed (well, on the sofa, too) that he wouldn't soon forget. 

They discussed the fact that it was silly for her to keep an apartment in London when she graduated, as she spent almost all her time with him anyway. She could easily take the Floo to work, as well.

So Remus had said he would look into options for her to safely stay at the cottage during his transformations.

"You do need to be aware" he said, looking earnest and a little worried, when they'd discussed it at the beginning of May "that your presence may affect my lupine behaviour. And you do need to be aware that I'm different when the full moon is so close in ways that are...unpleasant. My behaviour tends to become more extreme and I would not like it to place a strain on us."

Defiance roared up in Hermione. Like hell she'd be sent away from their shared home.

Remus had had to go through this long enough on his own. Whatever it was that happened, she thought, she could handle it. "What changes, exactly?" she asked, keeping the emotion out of her voice, her head cocked in curiosity. 

Remus looked at the coffee mug between his hands, considering his answer. "Well, for one, I tend to become more dominant, which I think you may have noticed."

Hermione suppressed a smirk.

Yes, she had noticed that particular change. It made for a rather interesting dynamic in their sex life. Yet she felt that the comment would be rather unwelcome in this serious conversation. 

"I am also more irritable and have less patience, so I'm a bit of a pain to be around. Afterwards I tend to sleep almost a full day and sometimes run a fever. And, well..." he looked uncomfortable, his eyes fixed on his coffee cup, which he was twisting in his hand. 

Hermione prompted him. "Yes...? Whatever it is, Remus, I'm sure we can work it out" she prompted him, briefly touching his hand. 

"I tend to get a rather extreme appetite for ehm, physical stimulation" his cheeks reddened. 

Hermione looked at him, not quite comprehending. 

Remus looked into her eyes, then looked away again, taking a deep breath. "I'm basically extremely, ah, aroused for three days straight before the full moon" he said. 

Hermione, to her credit, didn't really react to the statement, although it did set her mind racing. "I see" she said, keeping her face neutral. "So, ehm, how do you usually deal with that problem?" 

Remus looked at the ceiling in exasperation. "There's not much I can do, really, except, well, the obvious solution."

Hermione tried to contain a small chuckle but failed. Remus looked at her sternly, although a small smile threathened at the corner of his mouth, too. "I'm glad this is amusing to you, at least."

Hermione blushed, chuckling again. "No, Remus, I'm sorry." She said, as she looked down. "I just... let's say it explains things a bit more. You know, the rare instances that I _did_ see you during that time you were, let's say, very enthusiastic" she smiled apologetically. "On the bright side, I'll be around more, right? So I can help...?"

Remus sighed. "I wish it was that easy. I'm afraid I might hurt you. If we were, for example, in bed together and you would decide you didn't want to take things further, I might not take 'no' for an answer." 

"We'll sleep apart then" Hermione said, shrugging. "And I'll only initiate something if I'm sure we can finish it" she stated it matter-of-factly. She was sure Remus would never hurt her.

But she hadn't realised that Moony - as Remus had started calling the wolf - had that much sway over him. The thought of Remus no longer in control was indeed a somewhat frightening one. Yet, as Hermione reminded herself, there was plenty they could do to avoid such a situation. 

Remus still looked apprehensive. "I don't know. I know a few werewolves who have cabins they go to to change, maybe we should find a similar arrangement. At least that way, you can stay here?" he looked at her questioningly, but was met with a firm disagreement.

"I will not have you leave your own home!" she bristled, defiance in her eyes. "Let's just try next month and see how it goes. Then I'll be on time to cancel my lease for July. If it doesn't work out, I'll keep my lease going a little bit longer" she offered, a plan ready as always. 

Remus considered, although he still looked uncertain. "I just don't want you to feel pressured. And I really want you to be safe. You do understand that, right?" he said, grasping her hand and looking at her pleadingly. 

In answer, Hermione stood up, walked around the table and straddled his lap. "Yes, I do." she said softly. "But I also want to start, really _start_ , our life together. And we're going to have to figure this out one way or another." She bent forward and softly kissed his lips. "Because I love you and I'm not going anywhere". 

On the 21st of June it was the day of the graduation party of Hermione's year. It was a big affair at a mansion in the Essex countryside with a formal ball after the awarding of the certificates. 

Hermione and Remus had agreed they would come out as a couple to friends and family after this, but needed to keep their appearances up for one more night so as to avoid any drawn eyebrows among the students and the teaching staff. 

Hermione's parents had wanted to attend but thought the better of it. After the affair with the Wizarding war, they had - unsurprisingly - become very wary of wizards and tried to avoid them when possible.

While Hermione was a little disappointed, she understood their reasons all too well and she had decided not to invite anyone else. 

Unfortunately for Remus, the party was only three days away from the full moon and although small doses of Wolfsbane helped him control himself, he was still on edge.

This was also the first month they would be trying for Hermione to stay in the cottage during his transformation.

To guarantee her safety, Remus had reinforced the cage in the basement where he usually locked himself and he had added wards to the door of the basement too, that Hermione was to activate when he was downstairs. 

On the day of the graduation they had lunch together, before going to the mansion. Yet Remus he could hardly concentrate on the food before him, his thoughts constantly drifting to the witch in front of him.

They'd skipped breakfast together: she'd been for a run in the morning and Remus had had a lie-in, purposefully trying to avoid any situation in which Mooney would expect him to force himself on his bedmate.

After running, Hermione had changed into a low-cropped t-shirt and leggings, an outfit she often wore at home. Today, however, the outfit was too much for Remus.

He had already woken up with an extremely hard and very painful erection and helping himself in the shower had done little to improve matters. As he tried to focus on his plate, his thoughts roamed to the tantalising swell of her breasts, her inviting scent... 

"Remus?" Hermione looked at him from across the table. "Are you okay?" 

He shook his head a little, as though he was a dog with water in his ears. "Yes, sorry love, I was distracted. What were you saying?"

"I was just wondering, which dress you thought I should pick for tonight. I've got blue pencil dress or I've got the red one with the flaring skirt. It's a lot less tighter and with this heat it might be nice..." she said, thoughtfully. "What do you think?"

"You look stunning in both. I mean, the blue one is nice..." he trailed off for a second, his eyes unfocussing. Then, he continued. "...but I think the red is more suitable for the weather." As he was saying this, the start of a plan was forming in his mind.

It was a risky plan, but it was guaranteed to keep Mooney occupied for the remainder of the day. Plus, it would give Hermione an evening she wouldn't soon forget. 

As Hermione was doing the dishes, Remus came to stand behind her. Wrapping one arm around her waist, he pushed her hair to the side and kissed her neck, languorously. She sighed and melted into him, giving over into his embrace. 

She loved the feeling of his arms around her, she thought, as she sank into him. It was a feeling of pure comfort and safety. So far, she'd also noticed relatively little of the approaching full moon, although she thought Remus was trying very hard to keep himself in check. 

She was shaken from her revery as, slowly, one of his hands found its way underneath her sweater and roamed up over her stomach to cup her breast. Pinching her nipple through the fabric of her bra, Remus made her gasp and his tongue simultaneously found a soft spot on her shoulder. 

At her gasp, Remus felt himself grow harder from the already semi-hard state he had been in all morning. 

"Mmmm... Remus..." she moaned softly as he continued massaging her breast and softly bit the arch of her neck. 

Forcing himself to stop, Remus drew his hand from her breast, although he withdrew his hand slowly and made sure to trail his fingers over the expanse of her stomach. 

Hermione smiled at him, half turned around as she was still in his embrace. "What was that for?"

Remus shrugged nonchalantly and placed a small kiss on her cheek. "I just love touching you" he said, releasing her from his grip, but not before he nuzzled the nape of her neck. 

"You're going to be the death of me, you know" Hermione said, grinning, as she turned back to the dishes. 

After lunch, Hermione went to shower and to change into her dress. She had just finished undressing in the bedroom and wrapped a towel around her to walk to the bathroom, when Remus came in.

He walked over to her and caught her wrist, just as she wanted to step into the ensuite.

"Remus!" she giggled. 

His vicelike grip pulled her closer to him. "What?" he said innocently as he swerved them around and pushed her towards the bed. 

A little fight went out of her as she noticed his erect member through his jeans, but she continued to protest. "We'll be late!" 

He didn't say anything, simply pushed her down so that she was sitting on the edge of the bed. His hands deftly undid the towel and he admired the gorgeous naked witch before him. Hermione blushed. Remus had a way of looking at her like she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen and it was very arousing. 

He leant forward and took one of her nipples between his lips and sucked, softly. Hermione gasped. 

Slowly and softly, his hands massaged her breasts, while he licked her nipples in turn. Hermione leant back onto her hands, offering him access and hanging her head back in pure bliss. 

He began trailing a series of kisses lower and lower, travelling over her stomach and towards the curls on her mound. He pushed her legs apart and settled himself between her legs. She was already so slick and it was everything he could do to prevent himself from taking her right then. 

Instead, he began to lick his way from her thighs to her core, achingly slowly. Hermione grew ever more frustrated, his tongue never quite where she wanted him to be. When he finally ran his tongue from her aching entrance up to her clit, she moaned hard.

"Oooh, Remus..." she panted. 

Smiling to himself, Remus started a slow series of ministrations, mostly avoiding her engorged little nub.

"Please..." she begged as he pushed one finger into her and with miniscule movements began massaging her entrance.

Just when she thought she couldn't breath anymore, he stopped.

"Noooo..." she moaned, her eyes still closed.

"Well" Remus said, as he stood up. "You don't want to be late, do you?"

As Hermione glared up at him, it struck her he had never looked more like a Marauder then he did that moment. 

Just as she stalked past him to go to the shower, playfully glowering at him, he grasped her wrist and spun her to face him. 

"Don't even think of pleasuring yourself in the shower" he whispered, before kissing her. "I have a plan for you today" 

Hermione, flushed cheeks, her lips swollen from biting them to stop her from crying out, looked into his eyes searchingly, but he only said "Patience, miss Granger" and let her wrist go. 

They apparated to the Ball seperately and, as agreed, Hermione went to find some of her classmates and made small talk. Yet she was continually aware of Remus in her peripheral vision. He looked stunning in his charcoal grey dressrobes. 

He had started to look much better since she lived with him. She was never quite sure, but it seemed that his transformations took so much out of him each month, that it was a chore to take good care of himself. But with Hermione staying at his, she made sure he ate properly, slept well, didn't work too long. They also went out for walks and spent lazy Sundays on the sofa. 

With all her care he had started to look healthier, but also more muscular and she was proud that he was looking so well. 

She managed to get throught the drinks in the afternoon by talking to lecturers and fellow students. 

Her encounters with Lupin in the afternoon had left her with a frustrated, aching feeling in her core. Her thoughts were constantly interrupted with flashed back to that afternoon and their afternoon at the university. Yet she managed to sit through the dinner that followed the drinks too, managing to keep her thoughts away from those scenario's. To her own surprise, she even had fun talking to the other people at her table - most of whom she'd never even met - and soon enough it was time for the ceremony. 

During the award ceremony, she had been focussed on his beaming face as he looked up at her proudly. She wanted nothing more than to fly into his arms, but she managed a happy smile and joined the other graduates on the podium.

After the ceremony was over, she milled about, a glass of elderberry wine in her hand. Remus was caught in a group of lecturers discussing something vervently and it was evident Remus could not escape.

Around her, students were being congratulated by their families and friends that had come to see the ceremony and she felt a slight sting of jealousy.

A hand on her lower back pulled her back from her reveries. It was one of her classmates, Laszlo. "How come the dazzling miss Granger does not have her family and friends here to celebrate with her?" he asked, as he came to stand next to her.

Laszlo was a tall man, with a crop of black curls and a broad smile. He could have reminded her of Harry, if he had been shorter and had worn wire-rimmed glasses. Instead, he wore a heavy black frame and the eyes behind the glasses where so blue they were almost violet.

Hermione composed herself, squashing the self-pity she felt. "Ehm, well, unfortunately my parents are Muggles and they weren't quite comfortable in a mansion full of wizards." In response to his eyebrow raised in concern she waved her hand and continued "Long story. It's fine really" she mustered a smile at him. 

She'd always been friendly with Laszlo: he was courteous and friendly, but there was always something uncanny about his blue eyes. "So, where is your family? And I'm sure your girlfriend is somewhere here, too?" she asked, polite curiousity sufusing her voice. 

Laszlo gave a shrug. "They're somewhere here... I think my father really wanted to talk to the dean and my mother and sister are gossiping in some corner, I'd wager." 

A bitter note in his voice struck Hermione. She looked at him questioningly. His lips tightened. "My girlfriend, unfortunately, decided she preferred one of the German exchange students from her program over me" he said, with a shrug and an air of affected disinterestedness. 

Hermione frowned. "I'm so sorry Laszlo! That's aweful."

He gave another shrug. "Don't worry. I'm quite over it. At least now we have our degree, right?" 

Hermione gave a rueful smile. "That, at least is true"

Laszlo held up his glass. "A toast to degrees and loneliness?"

She clinked her glass with his and took her final drink, noticing Laszlo's eyes never leaving hers. She had noticed he was slightly slurring his words, and she realized he must have drunk more than she thought.

While he was nothing but polite, she began to become nervous. He was a nice guy, but she didn't fancy being his rebound flirt, especially not with Remus near them and so close to the full moon to boot. 

Scraping her throat, she made to move away, saying "I ehm, will get another drink. Do you want anything?" she asked. 

Laszlo grasped her wrist as she turned to move away, pulling her closer to him. "Come on, Hermione. Keep me company a little longer. Maybe we can dance for a bit?" 

Mustering a smile, Hermione tried to pull her wrist from his grip. 'I, ehm, really just want to get a drink, thanks" she managed in a polite voice. 

A voice behind her spoke up, just as she managed to extricate herself. "Well, hello, Mr Vadas, Miss Granger. Congratulations on your degree!"

Hermione swirled around and was face to face with Remus. He smiled to her pleasantly, but the smile never reached his eyes. Nor the corner of his lips, for that matter. 

Laszlo had the grace to look a little embarassed and shuffled his feet. "Hello, Professor Lupin. Er, thank you." 

Remus gave the other man a look that was neither hostile nor angry, yet managed to convey just what he thought of him. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I need to have a word with miss Granger here." He then grabbed her hand and began marching her to the side of the room. She shot Laszlo an apologetic smile, although she may had just looked a little amused. Hermione could do nothing else but follow Remus. She tried to smile pleasantly as they wove to the crowd, trying to look like she wasn't being manhandled out of the room but the way Remus held her hand made it hard. 

"Professor Lupin" she whispered, through clenched teeth "What are you doing?!" He didn't answer, just pulled her along further. Lucky for them, the room was so crowded that no one gave them a second glance, Hermione thought, otherwise this could have been very awkward. 

The Manor was a large, sprawling building, with a number of wings and side buildings with different function. The central hall was a grand cavernous space of marble and stone and a big chandelier swung in the hall as Lupin pulled Hermione into a room. It was only as he locked the door and warded it that Hermione looked around and realised that it was a bathroom, with a gilded mirror and a marble countertop with sink. 

She turned to face Remus, who was panting, swallowing with difficulty. 

She opened her mouth to ask what he was doing, but he had grabbed her, pushed her against the wall and was kissing her ferociously. His lips met hers, hard, his tongue demanding. His fingers were digging into her hips so hard that Hermione was sure she'd be bruised in the morning. 

She moaned into his mouth, her hands tangling into his hair, happy to finally have the close contact that she'd been craving since she'd left the side of the bed that afternoon.

She didn't care that Remus had just manhandled her out of a room full of people or that this was a bathroom. She just wanted him. As Remus shifted his attention to her throat, she slipped one hand between them and massaged his rock hard cock through the slacks under his dress robes. 

"Professor Lupin..." she panted, her eyes shut, her breath heaving as she blindly unbuttoning his dress robes, then moaning "Oh, Remus", as he bit the soft skin next to her clavicle. 

His hands slipped to her arse and he lifted her. She wrapped her legs around his strong frame, pushing herself against him as she was pressed into the wall. His strong arms kept her in place, securing her against him. 

He pressed his lips against hers again, hard and demanding, his tongue insistent. His hands were now pushing up the skirt of her dress, only to find her soft thighs and gorgeous arse were very much unclothed. His eyes flew open and he narrowed them at her.

It struck Hermione that his eyes were much darker than they usually were, and for a fleeting moment she wondered how much control Mooney had over Remus at this moment.

"You're not the only one who can make plans, professor..." she said softly.

Remus looked in her eyes steadily, one hand steadying her against him on the small of her back, the other hand trailing up, covering her breast, rubbing his thumb over her nipple, then up to her throat. 

For a moment, Hermione remembered the last time Remus did this, back at the university, and how exhillarating it had been to feel his absolute control over her. She made an involuntary sound as his long supple hand slipped around her throat underneath her jawbone. His touch was featherlight and he made no move to tighten his grip. Yet Hermione felt utterly at his mercy as she stared in his dark eyes, her head somewhat tilted backward, her breath stunted from arousal and a frantic heartbeat that hammered in her chest. 

Then his lips crashed on hers again, urgent, as if feeling her against him was the one thing that saved him from drowning. 

Her hand slipped between them to unzip his slacks and had freed his engorged dick, the head already swollen and hot to the touch. One hand his shoulder, she titled her hips and aligned herself with his cock, the tip already deliciously swollen inside her entrance. 

Then, suddenly there was a pounding at the door. 

"Hermione? I know you're in there. Are you okay?" 

Laszlo. 

Hermione's eyes widened and Remus pulled back a little, his hair messy, his lips bruised. His eyes flashed to the door and back to Hermione again.

Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Remus covered it with his hand and shook his head. Slowly, agonizingly, he bucked his hips and pushed into her, deeper and deeper until he was burried in her completely. Then he removed his hand from her mouth, tangled it in her hair and kissed her neck, simply staying there, filling her completely. 

"Best try and be quiet, miss Granger" he said in a low growl in her ear. She could her Laszlo pacing on the other side of the door and her heart raced. 

She made a small mewling sound as he withdrew, then filled her up again. He set a moderate pace at first, filling her with each stroke. 

Her hands grasped his bulding biceps to steady herself and keep her grip on him as he took her against the wall. She panted, making a large effort nog to make a sound, but not succeeding entirely, moaning softly with the pleasure of feeling Remus deep inside her. 

"Hermione?! Don't make me hex this door open!"

Remus' face was buried in her neck, one hand steadying himself on the wall, the other on her hip as he bucked into he, faster and faster. 

"I was only trying to be nice, you tease" They heard Laszlo grumble as he decided to give up the chase and his footsteps signalled his leaving. 

Hermione now moaned louder as Remus was pumping into her at a ferocious pace. "Fuck me, Remus... please" she begged, nonsensically, her faculties leaving her as her arousal - which had been building all day - was finally answered. 

She felt the muscles on his arm tighten as he neared completion and Hermione tangled one hand in his hair and pulled his lips onto hers as he came, deep inside her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what did you think? Hope you liked it. Next chaper will see the introduction of a few new characters and possible a lovely witch who might be after one our two lovebirds...


	9. So, what now?

The rest of the week after the graduation was the first Hermione had spent at the cottage with Remus. At the evening of the full moon, he kissed her goodnight at sundown and headed for the basement, where he had reinforced the steel cage that he now used to contain himself. Hermione locked the door to the basement and warded it with a series of spells that Remus insisted they run through at least seven times before the first evening.

It wasn’t so much the full moon that affected him the strongest, Hermione thought, by the night after its zenith, but the lead up to it. The two days before the full moon were the toughest on him, as he all his baser emotions seemed to be amplified ten-fold. He was hungry, easily frustrated, horny and generally on edge.

The evening of the full moon itself he was already worn out with the strain and the evening after that he was simply too tired to do much of anything. So she made him food, brought him cups of tea and massaged his aching muscles.

On the day after the last transformation, he came out of bed while she was making breakfast. He shuffled up to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind as she scrambled the eggs. He planted a kiss on her hair and leaned his cheek against the top of her head, sighing. “I really don’t know how I’ve come to deserve you.” he said, in a tired voice.

Hermione smiled to herself and turned around, returning his embrace. “Because you are a good, loving, kind and beautiful man, Remus Lupin, and I am happy to have you.” she said, beaming up at him, before kissing him.

The Monday it was time for her first day at the Muggle Liasion Office and Hermione was quite nervous. She had loved her meeting with Fi, but starting work was still unnerving.

She looked in the mirror uncertainly. Ophilia hadn't specified a dress code for the office, so Hermione had opted for a dark blue dress and a summer cloak for her first day at the office.

She tugged at the hem of the dress, eyeing it and wondering whether she should lengthen it a little with an alteration spell. In the end, she simply sighed, put her hair in a bun and went downstairs. It was the nerves about the day and the length of her dress would not make a difference.

Remus was making coffee and breakfast was already laid out on the table, including several of Hermione's favorite croissants from the bakery in the village a couple of miles away. She walked into the kitchen, taking in the delicious smell, then walked to Remus and rested her cheek against his back, slipping her hands in the pockets of his trousers. “Did you really go out to get those just now?” she murmured against his back, her eyes closed as she took on the feel of his muscles against her face.

Remus smiled. “I reasoned you needed a good breakfast before you start your new job” he said, as he turned to put the eggs on the plates he had set out. Hermione sighed happily as she sat down at the table and grabbed the coffee. The day at least had a really good start.

She Apparated to a small street just off Upper Belgrave Street and then mentally double-checked the instructions that Ophilia – no, Fi, she reminded herself – had sent her. She left the alley, turned right and walked past a few brick buildings that desperately needed some upkeep. Then she turned into another alley and found the window of a shop that, according to the sign and the instruments in the window – sold violins. However, it was evident from the layer of dust on the 'closed' sign, that it hadn't been open in any recent times.

As per the instructions, Hermione tapped her wand twice against a metal plaque next to the door “Amati Violins – The best Cremona-style instruments, made by the most excellent builders”.A small arched gateway opened in the masonry next to it. Stepping through it, she walked into a small mews with several official looking burgundy red doors.

She pushed open the second from the left, with the golden plate “Muggle Liaison Office” on it, and was faced with a steep stairwell that was carpeted in a rich velvety red color. As she reached the first landing, she walked up to the big door at the right-hand side that had a sign on it “Visitors Register Here”.

Peeking through it, Hermione saw two desks and large potted plant as well as big window opposite the door. On her right, there seemed to be something blue, which she only saw a sliver of, as the door blocked her line of vision. Uncertainly, she knocked. The blue thing moved and Hermione took a step back. It turned out that it was, in fact, a blue shock of long hair, belonging to a woman who was a little shorter than Hermione.

"Ehm, I'm so sorry to bother you, but is this the Muggle Liaison Office?" She asked, uncertainly. 

The person with the blue hair turned around, turning out to be a woman of a similar age, a little shorter than Hermione, with beautiful green eyes. 

"Yes, it is!” She is, smiling welcomingly. “How can I help you?” A soft Irish lilt colored the edges of her words.

“Ah, yes, I am here for Ophilia? Ehm, I mean, Ms Clark?”

The girls’ smile widened she bounded towards her, reminding Hermione strongly of a brightly colored bouncy ball. “You must be Hermione!" She said, grinning widely.

“You should have heard Fi! She's so ecstatic that you've decided to come and work with us. We haven't had any good people in ages. They try to send us interns every once in a while, but it never works, does it? And then you come along, all perfect and lovely and apparently one of the brightest witches ever and you want to come work with us! Well, Fi couldn't believe her luck...” the girl rambled on. 

Seeing Hermione's somewhat confused look, the girl smacked herself on the forehead. “And, yes, sorry, I'm forgetting myself. Oh, Merlin, what will you think of me?! I'm Cleo Philips, I'm the the lead of Fi's team for international liaisons!”

Cleo shook her hand enthusiastically. "So, unfortunately, Fi can’t be here to meet you this morning. She had to meet with a visiting delegation from Scotland, so she's tied up. She's asked me to take care of you, which of course I will.” She winked at Hermione. “So, first order: coffee. I can't move without a proper cup. Let's go.” And with that, she grabbed her bag from her desk and dragged a bemused Hermione off to one of the Muggle cafés.   
  
Cleo was similar to Fi, Hermione thought, and not just in her slight scatterbrained intelligence. She was just as warm, welcoming and generally a little irreverent.

As they walked to a nearby café, Cleo told her a little bit more about herself. Cleo’s mother had been a Muggle, her father a wizard, she told Hermione. While she was in school, her father had worked for MACUSA in the U.S. Her mother worked for the Muggle government and liaised with MACUSA. She had studied at Ilvermorney, which explained why Hermione had never met her even though they were about the same age. 

After ordering two large cappuccino’s, Cleo asked about her background. Hermione got the impression that Cleo had a vague idea who she was, but fortunately, had enough sense to skirt around the topic. As it was, Hermione did tell her about Hogwarts and her studies, but she glossed over the Wizarding War as much as she could.

“Well, Fi was really excited that you’re interested to work with us!" Cleo said, as Hermione had told her about finishing her degree. "You should have heard her on the morning you agreed to come.” Cleo smiled brightly at her. 

“What is she like to work for?” Hermione asked curiously, remembering the remarkable woman with her cell phone, her androgynous features and her fondness for Remus. 

“Ophilia – well, Fi, really – she’s fabulous” Cleo beamed. “She is absolutely brilliant and she doesn’t take shit from anybody. She’s well-liked by a lot of the Ministry, although obviously about the same amount of people can’t bear to work with her because she’s not traditional enough” Cleo pulled a face.

Hermione laughed. Cleo had an expansive way of talking, her face showing exactly what she thought and using her hands for emphasis. She studied her as she talked about Fi's battles with the Ministry, taking in the remarkable features of the witch in front of her. The blue in her hair varied from dark, regal blue to aquamarine and Hermione wondered whether it was dyed, natural or magic. Her eyes were a dark green with gold flecks and they were framed with long lashes. Her laugh was tinkling and melodious. She also made Hermione feel comfortably, instantly, whatever they were discussing. Yes, she thought, she'd enjoy working with her, but she may also just gain a new friend. 

After lunch they went back to the office, where Cleo showed her around the office and showed her her desk in the same office as Cleo. She introduced Hermione to the other staff on the mews. She told Hermione about the daily tasks, the different projects that were ongoing and which different tasks were open to her. She explained that they worked as a team, with Fi, Luke (a wizard specialized in languages and Muggle governmental culture), Saphira (an elderly witch who specialized in Muggle IT) and Amed (a legal specialist). 

Luke, Saphira and Amed worked three days a week, but often spent times at other departments to help them liaise better when they needed to work with Muggle involvement. Therefore, the core team would be Hermione, Fi and Cleo to do the day-to-day communications and projects with different contacts at Muggle departments.

Fi didn't show up all day, sending a Patronus halfway through to apologize to Hermione and explaining that she was held up with the Scottish delegation and that she would see her the next day.

Hermione was going through some of the files on the projects she would be working on when, at 5:30, Cleo stretched extensively and yawned.

“So, 'Mione, I'm calling it a day. Let's go home!”

Hermione looked at the file in her hands uncertainly. She wanted to keep on reading, but wasn't sure whether she could stay of maybe take the file home. Surely she needed to be up to speed as soon as possible if she was to work efficiently?

Cleo saw her look and laughed. It was as melodious as her voice. “Ah, I see why Fi likes you. But as your temporary superior, I'm saying no. The file will still be there tomorrow and you can read all of them then. Plus, don't you have a nice witch or wizard at home, waiting for your lovely self to come home?”

From anyone else, Hermione would have found the remark nosy, but now she just smiled. “Fine, fine. And yes, I think Remus would appreciate it if I didn't take work home on my very first day…” she rolled her eyes at herself and put the file in the drawer.

Cleo, who was shrugging on her coat, chuckled. “Good girl. So, his name is Remus?” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Please tell me it’s a gorgeous wizard, and not your dog?”

Hermione laughed. “Erh, no. He is very much a wizard, and yes, I definitely think he's gorgeous'. As she said it, she felt a faint blush creep up her cheeks.

Cleo giggled. “By your blush, I'm thinking you are still in the honeymoon-phase. Good for you, girl!”

Emboldened by her confidential demeanor, Hermione curiously asked “And how about you? Anyone at home getting dinner ready?” She wasn't quite sure what kind of partner she expected with Cleo. If she had one, that was.

“Hah!” the other witch chuckled, shaking her head. “No, chance would be a fine thing. No, it's just me and my cat Roger. I split up from my girlfriend a couple of months ago and haven't really met any... good candidates.” She winked at Hermione. “I'm very picky when it comes to the girls and boys I date, so I tend to take my time selecting my victims” she grinned.

They left the building and the mews, walking to the point where they could Apparate safely, chatting about the next day. There would be a team meeting where Hermione would meet the other members and see Fi again. Cleo proposed that they'd talk over the different things that needed tending to and Hermione could shadow either of them to learn the ropes.

After they agreed that Hermione would be in at 09:00, Cleo said “See you tomorrow!” and disappeared in a whirl of blue.

Hermione stared at the spot where the other witch had disappeared, still a little impressed with the bubbly witch and her first day at her new job. Then, smiling to herself, she took her wand from the pocket of her cloak and Apparated home.

Remus would be a little late, finishing up an end-of-year staff meeting at the University, so Hermione switched her dress for leggings and an airy sweater and started dinner. As she did, she started humming to herself. Mentally, she ran through the past day again.

From what she could judge from this one day, she really liked Cleo. The witch with the impressive hair was obviously highly intelligent but also really… fun. She was everything that Hermione did not expect from a Ministry employee, but in different ways then Fi had been.

She looked forward to working with her more. She was also very curious about the rest of the team. Just as she mixed the salad to go with the tajine she had made, she heard Remus enter and she couldn’t a suppress a smile.

They discussed their respective days over dinner, Hermione enthusiastically telling Remus all about Cleo and all the projects that she was going to work on and how she couldn’t wait to get stuck in.

Remus listened attentively, obviously happy that she’d found something that made her so enthusiastic after all those months of wondering and worrying.

“It sounds like a good place for you, Hermione. It really does” he said, as they were washing up. 

Hermione smiled at him. “Yes, it does, doesn’t it? All thanks to you!” she said, before stepping up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. 

Remus chuckled. “Now, that is lovely to hear! But in all fairness, I think Fi wasn’t impressed with my reference, but with you, because you are you. Not because of some old werewolves’ reference.” He nudged her shoulder. “You really shouldn’t underestimate how talented you are, love.” 

Hermione stuck her tongue out to him, blushing at the praise. “Yes, well you are biased. So I can’t very well trust your opinion.”

Remus chuckled again. “True, I might just have ulterior motives” he said, winking at her.

Hermione observed him from the corner of her eyes. He looked much better than he did the week before, the dimples in his cheeks returned and the bags under his eyes gone. But as she watching him, she noticed he did still favor his left arm, as he had hurt himself at the last transformation and had sprained his right shoulder. 

She frowned at him. “Your arm is still hurting, isn’t it?” she asked him. 

Remus shrugged and made a non-committal sound. “It’s fine, love. Don’t worry about it”

She turned towards him, her fists on her hips. “Remus John Lupin. You are still favoring your left side. Your shoulder still hurts.” She challenged him.

Remus chuckled again, still focused on the last two dishes in the sink.

“”Mione, love, I’m used to a little hurt. It’ll go. It comes with the territory.” 

The little witch gave a derisive snort. “Don’t give me any of that self-deprecating nonsense. You are marching your butt upstairs, taking a hot shower and I’m massaging you.” 

Remus turned towards her, laughing. “’Mione, we’re still doing the dishes. It’s a minor hurt. It’ll go away.” 

She just glared at him until he took his soapy hands from the dishwater and retreated, hands held defensively in front of him. “Okay. Listening. See?” He said, chuckling to himself.

How right Sirius was about she was holding her own, he could not have foreseen, he thought. But he’d be damned if he told the other Marauder.

The first week flew by. On Tuesday she met the rest of the team, who were – like Cleo had been – not what she expected. While Luke was a bit morose, Saphira and Amed had given her a warm welcome.

Saphira had turned out to be a tall, lanky witch of middle age who wore flowery dresses, who took notes on a laptop and had the latest mobile phone on the table next to her during meetings.

Amed was a stunning Siera Leonan wizard who had promptly kissed her on both cheeks when they met and who had had enthusiastically taken all of Wednesday morning to take her through all the legal issues that tended to crop up when their office took on a new project. Luke was a blond wizard who had been polite but came across as rather arrogant. Cleo rolled her eyes at him repeatedly and Hermione got the impression that she wasn't the only one who didn't get a very friendly vibe off him.

The rest of the week flew by, as Cleo and Fi took turns in taking Hermione with them to meetings, giving her increasingly important tasks and introducing her to everyone.

Friday afternoon was ended with drinks in nearby Muggle pub – Luke graciously refused - where Cleo's hair attracted the attention of several Muggle punters. When Hermione went home at 7:00, she was suffused with a happy, warm feeling of belonging.

The weekend started off great with a luxurious morning in bed and a walk on the coast. However, as the day progressed, both Hermione and Remus became a little nervous. Sunday would be an exciting, if a little daunting event, as Hermione and Remus would attend Molly's famous Sunday brunch that day. Together, as a couple. Which no one knew about.

Every time Hermione thought about this, she groaned a little to herself. How did they come to the point where they hadn't told anyone they were dating? Granted, she'd not seen Ginny very regularly: between flying for the international team and spending time with Harry, there was little enough time to see her friends. The same was true for Harry, who tended to be away on missions a lot when Ginny was away.

And Hermione wasn't exactly tempted to put the situation into writing. The situation was so... unusual that she wanted to be able to explain it. Ginny would probably simply be disappointed to not have heard the gossip earlier. But Hermione wasn't quite sure what Harry would make of her relationship with their erstwhile professor. Fortunately, she was now faced with explaining a relationship that had been going on for the better part of half a year and the fact that she had now moved in with Remus.

Her parents knew that she had met someone, but she hadn't yet formally introduced Remus to them. While she was on a good footing with them, she hadn't quite figured out how to tell them she was datum a man who was a good 20 years her senior, her former professor, a wizard and a werewolf to boot.

So, the Weasleys were her first option for coming out together. When they Apparated into the orchard of the Burrow, Remus didn't move, but simply stood next to her, looking at the odd assorted building. His face was a little ashen and Hermione wondered who was more nervous about this: him or her?

“How do you feel?” she asked, a nervous smile betraying her own feelings. 

Remus rubbed the stubble on his cheek. “Quite more nervous than I expected to be honest” he said, a slight frown giving him a pensive look. “I am really rather fond of Arthur and Molly, but I'm not quite sure what they'll make of our announcement. They view you as your daughter and I'm not quite sure they consider me... suitable." He swallowed. 

He looked at her apologetically. “Don't get me wrong. I want to tell people, I do. It's just that I didn't always get the most enthusiastic responses when announcing a relationship in the past. Not many people are happy when a loved one starts a relationship with a werewolf.” There was a bitterness in his voice that made Hermione's heart clench. She turned towards him and pulled him to her, looking into his eyes.

“Remus, these people are as good as our family. They will be happy for us. We may have to explain... circumstances,” she faltered slightly “but I am sure they will be happy for us.” After a moment, she added, with a slight shrug and a slight smirk “And if they're not, well, then, Ginny taught me her Bat-bogey hex and we'll see how they feel after”. She took on tip-toes and gave him a small kiss. 

She took his hand and together they walked to the building. Just before they reached the door, it flew open and little Victoire came running at them. “Aunt Hermione!” she exclaimed, while running up to her. Her long silver blond hair was down to her waist and she was wearing a blue dress with unicorns on them. “Victoire, hi lovely!” Hermione stooped to kiss the girl on the cheek and took her hand in her free one to lead her inside.

“Look who we found!” Hermione exclaimed to the living room full of redheads when they entered. A raucous cheer went up from the room as everyone saw them, Victoire running to Bill and a heavily pregnant Fleur. Ron was sitting on an arm-chair with Lavender perched on his lap, who gave Hermione a friendly wave. The twins were debating something with their relative spouses and, surprisingly, Percy. Charlie was talking to his father in the corner, looking quite serious but giving them a broad smile in welcome. 

No one seemed to clock their linked hands, but they were quickly descended upon by a fussing Molly. “Did you meet in the courtyard? What a coincidence! It's lovely to see you both!” she rambled as she gave each two kisses on the cheek.

“Hello, Molly, it's lovely to see you” Remus said, smiling. “We, ah, actually arrived together!”

“Well, isn't that nice” Molly said, not quite understanding. “Did you happen to meet somewhere?” She looked at them enquiringly and Hermione and Remus exchanged a glance. 

“Actually, ehm, Molly,” Hermione began, taking a deep breath to steel her nerves. But right at that moment, the door to he room crashed open and Sirius entered, eliciting yet another chorus from the assembled redheads, although minus Mrs Weasley.

“Sirius, you came mate!” Harry exclaimed, who came bounding up to them. He seemed to come from the kitchen, followed by Ginny. By the state of her shirt, Hermione thought, they hadn't been making drinks.

“'Mione, Remus, good to see you guys!” He was happier and healthier than Hermione had seen him in a long time, she thought, as she hugged him. He had brought all three of them a bottle of Butterbeer and she gratefully accepted it. “Congratulations at your degree by the way! Ginny told me!” Harry beamed.

“Thanks” she said, as she raised her eyebrows at Ginny, who was grinning at her broadly, before hugging the red-haired witch. “Your shirt is still untucked” she whispered, just she broke the hug, and the little witch quickly straightened the offending article of clothing.

Molly courteously welcomed Sirius, then went to the kitchen to sort some of the food. Sirius then turned to Hermione, whom he kissed on the cheeks, and Remus, whom he thumped on the shoulder. “Moony, mate, and Hermione, kitten. Lovely to see you guys. 'Mione, heard you started a job at the Ministry, of all places. Heard they've got really nice desks there!” 

Hermione immediately inhaled the sip of Butterbeer she was taking and she was spluttering as Remus thumped her back and glared at his best friend, who chuckled. “Must be some desks” he quipped and laughed at his own joke, before sauntering off to find a drink.

Through her coughs, Hermione glared, furiously embarrassed, at Remus, who looked shocked. Ginny and Harry exchanged nonplussed looks, then turned to Hermione. “Are you okay?” Harry asked, slightly bemused. Hermione was still spluttering a little. “Yes, I just choked on my drink,” she said, trying to fight down the blush that was overtaking her redness from choking. 

“What does Sirius have about desks all of the sudden?” Ginny looked at Remus with raised eyebrows, and to his credit, Remus managed to stay a lot more collected then Hermione. Shaking his head, he simply said “Who knows what goes on in Sirius' mind?” raising an eyebrow. He then asked Ginny about her latest few games, which was always a safe way of distracting her.

Harry focussed on Hermione, who frantically tried to regain her composure. “So, 'Mione, how have you been? I feel like we haven't spoken in ages. I tried sending Hera to your flat the other day with a letter to congratulate you, but it came back unopened. Were you on holiday?” 

Hermione scraped her throat and looked apologetic. “Ah, I'm sorry Harry. I forget to tell you. I moved house! I ehm, moved to Wales.” 

Harry looked surprised. “Really? You know Remus lives there too, right? Why did you leave London? I thought you liked living there? Isn't the Ministry job there, too?” His barrage of questions gave her time to gather her thoughts.

“Well, I kind of moved there because Remus lives there. We're, ehm, well, living together,” Hermione said, slowly, trying to catch Remus' eye to come to help her. 

Harry stared at her, frowning slightly, obviously not comprehending. “Why would you move in with Remus? Are you having any money issues?” he now looked very concerned. “If so, why didn't you let me know? I can help, it's no bother!”

Hermione had to stifle a chuckle. The boy was a dear, but he could be so thick. “That's very sweet Harry, but no, that's not it. No, ehrm, look. I'm really sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but well, things have been complicated.” She took a deep breath. “Remus and I are dating. Have been since February.” 

Harry looked at her dumbstruck. Then he looked at Remus, who was a little over near the sideboard talking to Ginny. 

“Wasn't he your professor at Reading?” he asked with a frown. Then, comprehension dawned. “Oooooh....”

After a silence that seemed to drag on forever, Harry started to chuckle. The chuckle turned into a laugh and before she knew it, he was hugging her. Relieved, she started laughing too, and then, they were laughing together, seemingly unable to stop. At some point, Harry seemed to calm down enough to stand on his own two feet again and he untangled himself. Then he looked her in the eye and a new realization seemed to dawn on him. "The desk joke from Sirius. Please don't tell me...?" He took one look at her reddening face and he collapsed again, groaning and laughing in a new fit of mirth. 

They stood, hugging and laughing for a good few moments before Harry finally regained his composure and Hermione managed to stop her tears of laughter. 

"Oh Merlin. Figures you'd end up shagging a professor." Harry said while shaking his head and letting go of Hermione. She looked at him searchingly, still a little nervous. Harry looked at her, a slight frown on his face. "Don't look so worried, 'Mione. What did you think? I'd be against it, or some such rubbish? Look, if you guys are happy, all I can say is that I'm happy for you guys." He chuckled, again. 

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and hugged him again. "You don't know how much that means to me."

Harry hugged her back but as they broke, gave her a searching look. "I take it no one knows about this yet, do they?" 

Hermione mutely shook her head. Harry looked around at Molly and Arthur. "Molly and Arthur?" he asked. She shook her head again and Harry seemed to understand the mute message. 

"Right, so you need a subtle way to tell them. Let's get Ginny here, she's always good at this." Hermione looked at him bemused and Harry raised his eyebrows at her. "She once convinced her mum that she was just giving me a 'naked massage' in the shed because I was sore from training. Don't underestimate her skills, 'Mione, she's Fred and George times bloody two" he said, chuckling. 

Hermione chuckled, then said. "Point taken." 

They walked over at Ginny and Remus, Harry slipping his arm around Ginny's waist and giving her a kiss on the cheek. Ginny looked from Remus to Harry and smiled at him. Then, Harry leaned over and whispered something in her ear. Ginny's eyes widened and she looked from Hermione to Remus so quickly that Hermione was convinced she'd hurt her neck. 

Then she looked back at Hermione again and raised her eyebrows. Hermione nodded and, moving closer to Remus, slipped her hand in his. Remus smiled at her and leaned his cheek against her head for a moment. Ginny gave a squeal and wrenched herself away from Harry, bounding over to give Hermione a hug. Then she turned to Remus and with a very serious face, said "Best of luck, professor. You'll need it," before bursting out into a fit of happy giggles. 

Hermione and Remus looked on amusedly. When Ginny regained her composure, she looked around the room. "So, you'll need help breaking the news to mum and dad. Dad shouldn't be too bad, but mum might just get a bit stroppy. You know how she is" she shrugged. Hermione nodded with a slightly worried look on her face, a look that was mirrored on Remus' features as well. Just then, a smile lit up Ginny's face. "I've got a plan."

They were sitting on the bench in front of the kitchen window, each with a glass of white wine in their hands. 

"So, spill!" Ginny said, her eyes shining with anticipation. "You said you met someone". 

Hermione tried to sound calm, couldn't suppress a giggle. "Well, he's absolutely lovely. I met him at my university program. He's honestly one of the kindest, most humble people I've ever met. He's incredibly intelligent and he really challenges me, you know?" She said, to Ginny, pausing to take a sip of wine. 

Ginny sighed happily. "He sounds wonderful. Has he met your parents yet?" 

Hermione shook her head. "No, I... You know how my parents are, nowadays. So I've been a bit hesitant. It doesn't help he's, well..." she broke off. 

Ginny nudged her with her foot. "Yes...?" She inquired curiously, mirth in her voice. 

"Well, he's older."

Ginny looked at her enquiringly. "How much older are talking about? A couple of years?"

Hermione shook her head. Ginny looked at her, an appraising look on her face. "More?" 

The other witch nodded. "How much more?" the little red-head asked, her eyebrows creeping upwards. "Ten years?" 

Hermione motioned upwards with her hand. "More" she said, biting her lip and looking at her glass of wine. 

Ginny gave a small squeal. "Fifteen years?" 

Hermione shook her head. "Twenty" she said. 

"Bloody hell, 'Mione. But..." Ginny broke off for a moment. "It's not a fellow student, is it?" she exclaimed, sounding little shocked. 

Hermione scraped her throat. "No. No, he is not, was not a fellow student."

Ginny blew out her breath. "Hmmm... Professor then"

Hermione nodded.

"Who initiated?" Ginny asked, turning towards Hermione, her eyes wide. 

"I did" Hermione admitted. "He ehm... was unsure at first. But since then, we've spent a lot of time together."

Ginny waggled her eyebrows at her and Hermione blushed. "It's not like that, Gin. We go for walks, cook together. He has a cottage near the coast and we mostly just spend time there, reading and working. We talk a lot. He's a really good listener."

Hermione frowned at her glass, revelations coming to her as she told Ginny this. 

"We're really good together. He has been there for me when my parents haven't been able to. It also helps I'm not formally his student anymore." Hermione said, shrugging, and Ginny suppressed a giggle. Based on Sirius' remark earlier, there hadn't been a very big issue with her being the student, she thought. 

"These last few months have just been... magical. I just... love him so much" she said, earnestly, and Ginny smiled at her. 

She had not seen Hermione this happy since... well, long enough that she couldn't think of when she'd last seen her that happy. Her heart went out to her. They deserved this love, so much. 

Just then, Molly Weasley exited the kitchen door and turned to them, a glass of punch in her hand, and she seated herself at the chair of the garden set, facing them. 

"Ginny, love, Hermione - I'm so sorry, but I overheard you talking about... well, your current situation," the matronly woman said carefully. Hermione and Ginny looked at each other, then at Mrs Weasley. 

"It's okay, Mrs Weasley. I'm just still figuring out how to tell people" Hermione said, smiling a little uncertainly. 

"Never, never be ashamed of who you love, Hermione," the older woman said, shaking her head. 

"Thank you, Mrs Weasley" Hermione said softly.

"Good men are hard to find, you two" Molly said, sighing. "And love is so important. It sounds like you found one of the good ones, my dear" she said, smiling at Hermione. 

Ginny looked at Hermione. "Does the age difference bother you?" she asked Hermione, who promptly shook her head. "He's... We're..." she frowned, struggling to formulate a thought. "Equal," she said, smiling when she found the right word.

Mrs Weasley nodded vigorously. "It's a mistake to think that age should dominate your relationship," she said. "Age is only one factor, and relationships are so complicated that it's just one thing amongst the many," she said, sagely.

Hermione smiled at her gratefully.

"So," Mrs Weasley turned to Hermione, "when will we meet this lovely man of yours, Hermione? He sounds like a gem and Arthur and I would love to have you over" she said, a warm smile on her face.

"Actually", Hermione said, swallowing, "you know him." 

Mrs Weasley looked confused. "Really, dear? Then why didn't you bring him?"

Hermione took a deep breath. "I did, actually." A pregnant pause hung between them. "It's Remus". 

When Hermione and Remus were in bed together that night, Hermione snuggled into Remus's side, her fingers trailing along the hair on his tight abdomen. She sighed. 

"That went... well" Remus said, contemplatively. 

"It did, didn't it?" Hermione said, smiling to herself. 

Remus chuckled.

"What?" Hermione asked. 

"It's just... I don't think I've ever seen Molly that conflicted" he said. 

Hermione smiled into his side, but she frowned slightly. "Yes, well... to be honest, it didn't feel very nice to do it this way. It felt like lying, knowing she'd overhear the conversation and making sure she couldn't really object once I told her it was you I was talking about." 

Remus nodded, thoughtfully. But then, Hermione shrugged. "On the other hand, it was like Ginny said: overhearing us just... guided the thought process she'd have to go through anyway but without any of the unpleasant side effects" 

Remus chuckled again, then turned to kiss her. "I'm just glad it's out in the open now," he said, tucking a curl behind her ear and he looked into her eyes. "Me too," she said, nodding and looking into his darkening eyes. "I want everyone to know you're mine now" she continued, as she caressed his cheek. 

Remus breath seemed to still for a second before he swallowed difficultly.

"I love you, Hermione Jean Granger," he murmured, kissing her again and pulling her against him, "to the moon and back".

**Author's Note:**

> As this is my first fanfic ever, I'd love feedback (but please be gentle with me).


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